


Sexiled

by I_am_a_closet_fanfic_fiend



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:47:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 33,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26352910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_am_a_closet_fanfic_fiend/pseuds/I_am_a_closet_fanfic_fiend
Summary: When your roommate Natasha sexiles you the night before a big chem exam you decide to sleep in the common room. Unfortunately someone else had the same idea.
Relationships: Natasha Romanoff/Clint Barton, Steve Rogers/Reader
Comments: 59
Kudos: 221





	1. Chapter 1

**_(8:53 PM) Natasha:_** Do you mind staying out of the room tonight?

**_(9:25 PM) Natasha_** : I’m guessing since you didn’t answer you’re cool with it. Thanks! Love you!

You groaned as you stepped off the elevator. It was almost 3 AM and you had an exam in the morning. And because of said exam you had turned your phone off to study nine hours ago, apparently missing some very important news.

“At least the common room has a comfy couch,” you muttered as you trudged down the hall.

You were mentally calculating how much sleep was necessary for you to be awake for your exam when you turned the corner and found the couch you’d been planning on crashing on occupied.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Apparently you were louder than you intended because the guy jolted awake and started looking around for his books.

“Crap, I’m going to be late for my exam.”

“Easy there. It’s only 3 AM, and I don’t know of any classes here that start before 8,” You joked and he leaned back against the couch.

You couldn’t help but admire his physique as his chest heaved, and your cheeks burned when he caught you staring at him.

“Do I know you?” He squinted like he was trying to place you.

“I don’t think so.”

You would remember meeting someone so attractive.

“Well, in that case. Hi. I’m Steve.”

“Y/n.” You waved one hand somewhat awkwardly as you dumped your backpack on the table and moved to the sink to fill your water bottle. “So, Steve, I’m like sixty-two percent confident you don’t live on this floor. So why are you asleep in my common room?”

“How are you only sixty percent sure I don’t live here?” he asked somewhat incredulously.

“Sixty-two percent,” you corrected.

“I was studying for an exam with a friend and he decided to call it quits about,” he glanced at his watch, “An hour ago and I thought I’d take a twenty minute power nap before cranking out a few more hours of studying.” He grinned as he ran a hand through his messy blond hair. “So what’s your excuse?”

“Exam in the morning. Just got back from the library to find I’ve been sexiled. So I was planning on crashing on the couch.”

You sat cross-legged in one of the arm chairs and redid your messy bun before pulling your binder out of your backpack

“Well I apologize for taking your bed.”

“It’s okay,” you shrugged. “I should keep cramming anyways.”

“What are you studying for?” He asked as he looked around for his notebook.

“Chem 101,” You groaned.

“Wait, really? Me too. Are you in Erskine’s 8AM?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Wait that’s why I recognize you. You sit front right and answer all the hard questions.”

“Not really,” you mumbled, suddenly feeling self-conscious. You’d been labelled “teacher’s pet” practically your whole life and it wasn’t a nickname you were eager to bring with you into college.

“I didn’t mean it as a bad thing,” he smiled apologetically. “I wish I followed along that well. I feel like I’m always five steps behind.”

You weren’t sure what to say. You wanted to be encouraging but you also knew this was a weed out course.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine. But if you’re going to keep cramming, we could study together.”

“That’s be great.”

“Awesome. Okay. Let’s get started.”

You hopped up and closed the doors to the common room so you wouldn’t bother anyone and then pulled out the rest of your notes.

“Umm. Wow.”

You glanced up and he was staring at the rainbow papers in your hand.

“Colors help me study,” you told him sheepishly.

“Do you do that during class?”

“Oh God no. This is what I spent eight hours on in the library tonight.”

The look of shock faded and he nodded.

“That makes a lot more sense.”

“So umm, where do you want to start?” You asked nervously.

“Let’s do the most recent section on bonding?” He suggested, flipping through his own notebook.

“Sure. Sounds good.”

The two of you studied surprisingly well together and by 6AM when your first alarm went off you were both feeling fairly confident.

“I think that’s about all my brain can take,” he groaned slightly as he stretched and you couldn’t help but notice the strip of skin that was exposed as his t-shirt rose up. “I think I’m going to go take a shower and try to wake up.”

“Probably a good idea. I’m probably going to fall asleep during the exam,” you half-laughed as you stretched your neck. “Maybe I should skip the nap and go try to track down some coffee and start the caffeinating now.”

“No way, you need sleep for sure.”

“I’m kind of afraid I’m going to sleep through my exam. Besides, I don’t think I’m going to get much sleep out here.”

As if to prove your point three different people exited their rooms to shower in the next few seconds. Steve frowned slightly before looking at you with a slightly bashful expression.

“Well, since I’m gonna shower. You could come nap in my bed. And then I can make sure you’re up for the exam.”

“I couldn’t possibly. I mean, what about your roommate?”

“He had PT this morning at 6.”

You couldn’t believe you were actually considering this. But you were exhausted and it would mean you didn’t have to worry about waking up for the exam.

“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. If you’d rather I can just come back up here and wake you.”

A few more people started traipsing into the common room, and you knew you’d never get any sleep.

“Actually, I think I will take you up on that offer. Thank you.”

He smiled and grabbed your backpack.

“It’s the least I can do. I did steal your couch after all,” he grinned.

It turned out he lived two floors below you. The room was neater than you’d anticipated. Both lofted beds were made and the desks held stacks of papers and books.

“Make yourself comfortable.” He gestured to the bed on the right side of the room before turning to his drawers to gather clothes for the day. “What’s wrong?” he asked when he noticed you hadn’t moved.

“Uhhm…” You eyed the gap between the floor and the bed warily. He’d removed the ladder that typically went with lofts, clearly not needing it.

“Oh, right,” he laughed to himself putting two and two together. “I usually use the desk to get up there.”

“Okay, if you don’t me using it then I’m good.”

You kicked your shoes off next to his desk and sat on it before swinging your legs up and spinning so you could stand. You wobbled slightly and Steve reflexively extended his hands towards you. From the desk, you were able to swing your leg up and haul yourself into the bed.

Steve tugged the blanket from the end of his bed over you.

“Thank you,” you mumbled, the softness of the bed already lulling you to sleep.

“Sleep tight, y/n.”

You groaned as you were shaken awake.

“Go away, Nat. My alarm isn’t even ringing,” you mumbled burrowing further under the covers.

However your eyes snapped open when you heard the throaty chuckle that most definitely did not belong to your roommate. You bolted upright, looking around to orient yourself. The piercing blue eyes you came face to face with didn’t exactly help your focus; you were hyper aware of his warm hand on your shoulder.

“Hi,” you squeaked out.

“Good morning,” he grinned. “How do you take your coffee?”

“On exam days… black.”

He hopped off the desk and set a mug under the Keurig, as you tried to wake yourself up.

“You know those are illegal,” you teased.

“Trust me. I’m providing a public service. Under-caffeinated Bucky Barnes is not good for anyone.”

“Don’t worry. My lips are sealed.”

He handed you the cup before hoisting himself onto the bed next to you.

Inhaling deeply, you let out a content sigh. “Cute boy bringing me coffee. You know, this is not such a bad way to wake up.”

“Happy to be of service.”

You grimaced. “I said that out loud didn’t I?”

He nodded, smirking.

“I’m just going to drink my coffee. Under-caffeinated y/n y/l/n isn’t good for anyone.”

“I don’t know about that,” he teased. “She seems pretty nice to me.”

Rolling your eyes, you nudged his shoulder.

Once the caffeine was coursing through your system, the realization that you had an exam hit.

“Okay. Right. Exam. Let’s do this.”

Steve took the empty mug from you before helping you down from the bed.

“Well I should go change, assuming my roommate isn’t having round 2. Thanks for the coffee and for letting me crash in your bed.”

“Anytime.”

You arched an eyebrow and he blushed.

“I just meant it was my pleasure. I mean… I…”

“You’re gonna hurt yourself. Seriously thank you. I’ll see you at the exam.”

“See ya.”

You felt him watching you as you walked to the elevator and you bit your lip to keep from giggling.


	2. Chapter 2

When you woke from your post-exam nap it was three in the afternoon. After a long stretch, you started rooting around your room for your ID. You had realized that it was missing when you went to swipe back into the building and it wasn’t in its normal pocket in your bag. You inadvertently reorganized your entire room while you looked for it, but still no luck. 

You knew you had it when you came back from the library last night, so you carefully checked the common room. 

“The last time I used it was…” you tapped your finger on the table. “At the vending machine.” 

You had bought candy as a mini-reward around five in the morning and then you had shoved the card into your back pocket. You rushed back to your room to check the jeans you had changed out of it that morning, but no luck. You groaned when you realized that the ID was probably somewhere in Steve’s bed. Since you didn’t have his phone number you only had once choice. 

You felt a bit like you were doing a walk of shame as you took the elevator two floors down and walked towards his room. Hoping he was back from his classes, you bit your lip as you knocked on his door. 

“One second.” 

The door opened, revealing Steve’s very attractive and very shirtless roommate. 

“Hi,” you squeaked out. 

“Hi,” he smirked. “Can I help you, doll?” 

“Uh, I hope so. I think I might have left my ID in here this morning.”

The brunette looked confused and you realized that he had no idea who you were or why you had been in his room. 

“I… uh.. Steve and I have chem together. And we were studying and he made me coffee this morning after an all-nighter. I would have texted Steve but I didn’t have his number and I really need my ID,” you babbled. “I’m y/n.” 

A small smile crossed his face as he put two and two together. Steve had texted him about a cute girl saving his ass in chemistry. 

“Bucky,” he informed you as he pulled the door open wider. “I was wondering why my mug was used. Come on in, I’ll take a look.” 

You let him look around the floor and desk unsuccessfully before mumbling that it was probably in the bed. 

“What was that?” he asked as he _finally_ put on a shirt. 

“I said it might be inhisbed.” 

You rushed through the final bit hoping he wouldn’t make you repeat it.

“Steve is holding out on me,” he muttered under his breath. 

Bucky lithely hopped onto the desk and started searching through the bed and you found yourself admiring his ass. 

“Got it!” He hopped down and handed it to you. “Here you go.” 

You slid it into your wallet. 

“Thanks. Sorry for bothering you.” 

“Didn’t bother me at all, doll. You know, I was just about to go down to the dining hall for a snack. You hungry?” 

“I could eat,” you agreed. 

“Let me just go use the bathroom. Make yourself comfortable.” 

He left the door open a crack as he walked out. You couldn’t help but look at the sketches that were posted around the room. You were admiring one of the New York skyline when the door swung open; you jumped back, feeling like a snoop. 

“Buck, I’m glad you’re home, I gotta tell you about the girl I met last night.” 

Steve flushed bright red when he saw you sitting there. 

“Y/n, h-h-hey, what are you doing here?” 

“I umm kinda lost my ID in your bed. I didn’t have any way to contact you so I figured I’d try my luck and Bucky was here so he found it for me.” 

“Where is Bucky now?” 

“Bathroom. We were just about to go down to the dining hall. Hungry?” 

“Starving. I had back to back labs after the exam.” 

“Eww why would you sign up for back to back Friday labs?” 

“A friend of mind said labs are easier on Fridays because the TA’s are as over the week as you are.”

It was somewhat sound logic you supposed. 

“Were they right?’ 

“Not really. Although, when I pull all-nighters to finish my labs I have the entire weekend to recover.” 

“That is a considerable upside. I put both of mine on Mondays so I would work on my labs over the weekend,” you admitted. 

“How’s that working out for you?” You could hear the sarcasm in his tone and your answer was written all over your face. 

“Well I dropped my Tuesday 8 AM dance class.” 

You were both laughing when Bucky walked back in. 

“You got out of lab early.” 

“It was an easy one this week,” Steve explained as he tucked his backpack under his desk. 

“That’s good. You going to come with us to the dining hall then?” 

He glanced at you before grinning. 

“Definitely.” 

Bucky barely ate anything as the three of you sat in the dining hall chatting. 

“Are you sick? Normally you’re inhaling everything in sight,” Steve asked, brow furrowed. 

“I’m saving my appetite.” 

“For what?” 

“I’ve got a date tonight,” Bucky grinned. 

“Where you taking her?” 

“This little hole in the wall in Little Italy. Tony suggested it to me.” 

“Girl must be something special,” Steve hedged and you felt a bit like an intruder. 

Bucky’s answering smile was serene and full of hope. 

“I think she is. Speaking of which… I should probably go get ready.”

“Have fun.” 

“I will. It was nice meeting you, y/n. I hope I see you around.” 

“Same here, Bucky.” 

“See ya!” 

He waved and rushed out of the dining hall, leaving you and Steve alone, awkwardly sitting on the same side of a booth. 

“Thanks for saving my butt on the exam today,” he grinned leaning his head in his hand as he turned to look at you. 

“Umm, Steve,” you couldn’t help but giggle as he put his elbow directly in a glob of ketchup. 

“Wow that was super smooth,” he mentally kicked himself as you handed him some napkins. 

Once he had only managed to make the stain larger, he shrugged out of his sweatshirt and tossed it to the other side of the booth. You took a moment to appreciate the way his shirt stretched across his pecs and when he leaned forward again on the newly cleared table you couldn’t help but notice his biceps. 

“Like I was saying. I definitely would have left half that exam blank if it weren’t for you helping me last night. So thank you.” 

“I should be thanking you. I realized so many things studying with someone else.” 

“Maybe we should study together more often then.” 

“That would be great,” you agreed quickly. 

“So any plans for the rest of the night?” Steve asked as you left the dining hall nearly three hours after arriving. He was so easy to talk to. 

“Does ordering Insomnia Cookies and watching old cartoons count as plans?” 

“I don’t know. But it sounds like heaven.” 

“Do you want to join me?” you asked surprising both of you. 

“I don’t want to ruin your night.” 

“You wouldn’t,” you promised. 

“Well if you’re sure. But cookies are on me.” 

“As long as you don’t put your elbow in them,” you teased as you stepped into the elevator. 

“You know what, y/n…” 


	3. Chapter 3

You picked up the chocolate bar Nat had left on your desk, chuckling at the hastily scrawled apology beneath it. 

_OH MY GOD! I TOTALLY FORGOT YOU HAD AND EXAM THIS MORNING. I’M SO SO SORRY FOR SEXILING YOU LAST NIGHT! I’LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU WHEN I GET BACK. I PROMISE._

_XOXO_

_Nat_

“What’s that?” Steve asked as he made himself comfortable on your bed. 

“It’s from my roommate. Apologizing for sexiling me. She forgot I had an exam. Want half?” you offered him a bit and he took it with a grin. 

“Thanks. So what kind of cookies are you in the mood for?” Steve asked as he pulled the website up on his phone. 

“Anything chocolate.” 

“Let’s see what they have shall we?” 

You nodded, peeking over his shoulder. The two of you spent the next ten minutes picking out a wide array of cookies; your mouth was already watering. 

“Alright, I think that’s everything I could possibly want,” you sighed contently. 

He finalized the order while you reached for the remote. “They’ll be here in 20 minutes. I love living a block away from them.” 

“Me too. So, Disney or Nickelodeon?” 

“The defining question of our generation,” he chuckled. “Disney mainly. You?” 

“Same, but Rugrats and Hey Arnold are classics.” 

“Don’t forget about Rocket Power.” 

“I couldn’t possibly. Alright, so we’ll do Disney tonight. Any requests?” 

He shrugged. “You pick.” 

“Kim Possible it is then.” 

You weren’t expecting him to light up like a Christmas tree. “Man, I loved that show!” 

You started the first episode, very aware that your whole left side was pressed against his after looking at the menu. But he hadn’t exactly shied away and you weren’t ready to move, so you stayed right where you were. 

Much to your delight, the writing still held up after all this time and the two of you were giggling throughout the episode. Just as the theme song started for the second time, his phone rang. 

“That’ll be the cookies. I’ll be right back.” He shoved his feet back into his sneakers and answered the call on his way out the door. “Hello. Yep that’s me. I’ll be right down.” 

While he was gone you took the opportunity to change into pajamas since you were staying in for the rest of the night. You were suddenly glad your best friend had insisted you own at least one cute set. You pulled on bright blue pants with silver stars and the matching tank top and then tossed on your favorite black hoodie before settling back onto your bed playing with your phone. 

After 10 minutes you were beginning to worry that he had bailed on you. 

After 25 minutes you were certain he had. 

“Typical,” you muttered as you started the next episode. 

You tried to convince yourself that you were just upset he had disappeared with your cookies, but you knew that was a lie. 

You made it through an episode and a half when there was a knock on the door. Reluctantly you got up to see who was there. As you looked through the peephole you were surprised to see Steve with an apologetic smile. 

“I’m so sorry. First the delivery guy managed to get lost. He was two buildings down. And then I went back to my room to change,” you noticed he was in sweats now. “And I managed to lock myself out of my room. I would have just waited until Bucky came home, but the cookies were inside.” You were going to tell him it was fine but he barreled on. “And then I went to res life to get a spare key, but the key they gave me didn’t work. So I had to make them use their master key. And then my friend would not stop talking to me so I had to sacrifice one of my cookies.” You were about to interrupt again but he continued on without a breath. “And halfway through this whole ordeal I was going to text you but then I realized I don’t have your number. And all that was a long-winded way of saying I’m really sorry I kept you waiting. Here are your cookies.” 

You stood there, hand on the door, slightly stunned by his rambling as he caught his breath. 

“Well it sounds like you had quite the harrowing adventure. Come on in,” you giggled. 

And once you started you couldn’t stop, and pretty soon he joined in and the two of you were doubled over clutching at your stomachs as tears started to form. 

“So which cookie did you have to sacrifice?” you asked once you had calmed down. 

“Chocolate chunk,” he pouted. “Pain in the ass knows it’s my favorite too.” 

“Well, you’re in luck. I ordered one too so we can share.” 

“You don’t have to do that.” 

“Please. I insist. You went through a lot to make sure I got my cookies.” 

“Well if you’re sure…” It was obvious he couldn’t resist. 

You smirked as you opened the box and placed the cookie on a paper towel so you could warm it up in the microwave. 

While it was heating you pulled a ten out of your wallet and tried to hand it to Steve but he just shook his head. 

“I told you. It’s my treat. You saved me on the exam this morning. Please,” he insisted when you tried to argue. 

“Well, okay,” you finally conceded. “Thank you, Steve. And it’s my treat next time.” 

“You’re on. Oh and before I forget, can I get your number?” his cheeks were tinted pink and he couldn’t quite meet your eye. 

It was adorable. 

“Of course. I think it will save us a lot of trouble in the future.” 

You rattled off the number and he saved it and sent you a text. 

**_Unknown Number (10:06 PM):_ ** _Hey, it’s Steve. I think you slept in my bed this morning…_

You laughed and rolled your eyes, saving his number as he retrieved the cookies from the microwave. He sat so your arms were touching again. 

“Did you still want to watch Kim Possible?” 

“I’m down if you are.” 

“Let’s do it.” 

You restarted the episode you had been watching and relaxed as you both munched on the cookies. 

“Kim Possible is such goals,” you declared four episodes later. 

“What kind of goals?” 

“Umm, besides everything?” you asked in a disbelieving tone. “Well, hair goals for sure. But also balanced life goals. I mean head cheerleader and saves the world. Not to mention, she killed it when it came to the whole best friends to lovers thing.” 

His brow furrowed. 

“They don’t get together.” 

“Yes they do! Oh come on. Her and Ron getting together was like one of the most iconic moments in Disney Channel history.” 

“I must not have watched the last episode.” 

“Last episode? They were together for the whole last season! They got together at prom in the movie and then dated through all of senior year…” you recounted, trying to jog his memory. 

“Okay, I missed a lot. Clearly. Huh. Good for Ron. I always related to him.” 

“How so?” 

“Goofy. Not nearly as much of a badass as his friends, but he still tried to do good.” 

“I can see that.” 

“You’ve known me for 24 hours,” he laughed. 

“And in those 24 hours you’ve stayed up all night studying with me, let me sleep in your bed, made sure I was up and caffeinated for my exam, and went on a very involved quest to bring me cookies. I’d say that’s a fairly solid indication you’re a good guy.” 

His cheeks were burning red by the end of your spiel. 

“Thanks,” he mumbled. “You’re really sweet, you know that? And I’m really glad I fell asleep on your common room couch last night.” 

“I am too.” 


	4. Chapter 4

“That would be so cool,” Steve commented during a later episode. 

“Saving the world? Um duh.” 

“I meant being a brain surgeon.” 

“Huh. So you are premed,” you assessed. 

“Just because I think surgery is cool doesn’t mean that I’m premed,” he argued. 

You gave him an unconvinced look. 

“Are you?” 

“Yeah,” he sighed and hung his head. 

“Called it,” you sing-songed. “I mean to be fair. There was a seventy percent chance that you were considering you’re suffering through Chem 101.” 

He shrugged his agreement.

“So are you premed?” 

“No way,” you scoffed as you broke the last cookie and handed him half. ”Strictly research.” 

“How come?” 

“Don’t have the stomach for it.” 

“Gotcha,” he nodded. “Blood make you squeamish?” 

“No.” 

That surprised him. 

“Bile? Bodily fluids? Puss?” He listed making you grimace. 

“Ew. Gross, but no. Not enough to make me squeamish.” 

He cocked his head to the side, trying to guess what you were thinking. 

“So how do you not have the stomach for it?” 

You mulled over your answer, it was something you had a hard time explaining to people. 

“I guess that’s the wrong way to describe it. It’s more that I can’t imagine having to give someone bad news, like they had cancer. I’d much rather be the one who gets called in to give them a second chance. I guess that sounds pretty shallow.” 

He shook his head, resting his hand on your knee. 

“Not at all. Giving someone a new lease on life is one of the most amazing things you can do. Trust me. I would know.” 

His admission surprised you. Steve was built like a Greek god, all hard lines and taut muscles. You wanted to know the story but you didn’t want to pry, so you ended up sort of gaping at him making him chuckle. 

“I was a really sick kid. Name any chronic illness and I probably had it. My lungs were a complete mess and we really didn’t know if I was going to make it past 16. And then Dr. Erskine and his team took my case.” 

“Wait Dr. Erskine like Chem 101 Dr. Erskine?” 

“The very same. They looked at my body chemistry and made me a personalized cocktail of drugs. Three months later I could actually run a mile. Six months after that was the last time I used my inhaler.” 

“Is that what made you want to become a pediatrician?” 

He cocked his head as his eyes narrowed appraisingly. 

“What?” 

“I never said pediatrician. How did you know?” 

“Just a guess.” 

“It’s a good one. Once I could do anything, I wanted to make sure everyone gets that chance. Assuming I make it through med school. Of course to do that I have to make it through chem. And that’s questionable.” 

You put your hand on top of his lacing your fingers together. 

“You’ll make it through. On sheer determination alone if I’m honest. You’re going to be a great doctor someday.”

“Thanks, y/n.” 

“So does Professor Erksine know you were his patient?” 

“I doubt it. I thought about telling him, but I’m sure he doesn’t remember me.” 

“I’m sure he does. I think you should tell him.” 

“Let’s see how this exam went first,” he laughed. 

“Fair enough. But you should come to his office hours with me regardless. It’s super helpful. And they’re never crowded.” 

“When are they?” 

“Right after lecture on Wednesdays.” 

“I can do that. And then maybe we can do lunch afterwards. Ya know, a standing lunch da… thing,” he finished with an embarrassed grimace. 

You giggled as he tried not to say the word date. 

“It’s a date.” 

Your phone buzzed twice and you looked down in time to see it shutting off. 

“Do you need to charge your phone too?” You asked as you reached over to your desk to plug it in. 

“I probably should. Oh shit,” he grumbled distracted by a text. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Buck sexiled me. I’ll have to see if I can bunk with Sam and Riley.” 

“You can stay here if you want,” you offered surprising both of you once again. 

“I couldn’t impose like that.” 

“You mean like I did this morning?” you laughed. 

“That was different’ 

“How so?” 

“You were a… uh… you were in distress.” 

You laughed as he grimaced again. 

“It was really hard for you to not say ‘damsel’ just now wasn’t it?” 

He gave you a sheepish grin and raked a hand through his hair. 

“Yes. I thought you might hit me.” 

“You were right,” you grinned and fake-slugged him in the shoulder. “Seriously. You’re already dressed for bed. I can sleep in Nat’s bed. You don’t have to,” you added quickly. “It’s just I know that it’s late and…” 

“You’re sure you don’t mind?” 

He looked up at you through his lashes, willing you to tell him the truth. 

“Positive,” you promised without missing a beat. 

“Alright. Thanks.” 

“Only fair to return the favor.” 

“A few more episodes before we call it a night?” he suggested. 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

Somehow over the course of a few more episodes you ended up lying down facing each other with your head propped on your hand, discussing everything from your favorite childhood memories to your most embarrassing high school mishap. 

“So yeah, there I was, stupid little freshman, carrying four classes worth of books and trying to get to my locker and I slip and slide all the way down the staircase on my butt.” 

“Oh noooo,” he groaned out a laugh. 

“Yup, and naturally I slid to a stop outside a classroom filled with most of the varsity football team. Which included the guy I had been crushing on since fifth grade. I was mortified.” 

Steve was sympathetic. 

“If it makes you feel better, after Dr. Erksine helped I had a growth spurt. And since I could breathe I decided to try some sports, so I joined the track team. Mom still didn’t want me do any contact sports.” 

“Sensible.” 

“Agreed. But not totally helpful. Fall was cross-country so it was fine. You just run there’s really very few ways you can hurt yourself. But then, in the Spring I did track and field and I decided to try something new.” 

“Uh oh. You speared yourself with a javelin didn’t you?” you guessed. 

“No,” he laughed. “That probably would have done less damage. No, I decided to try hurdles and underestimated how long my legs were.” 

“Oh god,” You hid your face against his chest, heat flooding your cheeks in second hand embarrassment. “You didn’t.” 

“Yup, hit the first one on the way up. And then went sprawling into the next two. I’m pretty sure Bucky still has pictures of me all tangled up.” 

“Wow, sounds like a great friend,” you teased. 

“He is,” Steve defended automatically.

“I was kidding. He seems great.” 

“He is. But he’s firmly in the camp of I can screw you with you but anyone else who tries _will_ get their ass kicked. He was the one person who never treated me like I was breakable.” 

“The best kind of best friend,” you agreed around a yawn. 

“We should probably get some sleep it’s,” he squinted at the clock on your microwave, “Nine o’clock?”

“That can’t be right.” 

You reached for your phone and turned it back on. Sure enough the clock showed 9:04. 

“Wow. It is nine. Does this count as an all-nighter?” 

“Maybe for you. I can’t claim it because I took a nap yesterday. But it only counts if you get breakfast before you pass out.” 

“Is that your way of telling me you’re hungry?” 

You grinned as wide as you could. 

“Alright, come on.” 


	5. Chapter 5

Your quiet night/morning with Steve came to a screeching halt the moment you two stepped out your door. Tony was standing outside your door but was too busy talking to someone at the end of the hall that he ended up knocking on Steve’s chest. He turned and slid his glasses down his nose as he looked Steve up and down. 

“Well good morning to me. Hello, I’m Tony Stark, and what’s your name, handsome?” 

Steve flushed slightly, but stuck his hand out anyway. 

“Steve Rogers. Nice to meet you. Are you Bruce’s roommate?” 

“I am.” 

“How do you know Bruce?” you piped up. 

“He’s in our chem class. That’s who I was studying with the other night.” 

“Oh, of course. That makes sense.” 

Tony was looking back and forth between the two of you, and you didn’t want to give him the chance to embarrass you. 

“Well, Steve and I were on our way to breakfast, so I’ll see you later.” 

“Perfect timing. I was just coming to get you.” 

“Why were you coming to get me?” 

“Floor breakfast. You told me to come drag your butt out of bed.” 

He was right. “Damn it. I forgot.” 

“We can rain check,” Steve offered immediately. 

“You’re welcome to join us,” Tony countered. “The more the merrier.” 

Steve looked to you for approval. 

“Please, join us. But let’s go before I pass out standing here.” 

“Are you sure you want food more than sleep?” Steve teased as you locked your door. 

“Be quiet,” you laughed elbowing him. 

“Didn’t get much sleep there, y/n?” 

Before you could growl out a response, Bruce poked his head out from the end of the hall. 

“Come on, I’m starving. I need grease to cure this hangover,” he whined. 

“We’re coming. Just keep your sunglasses on! ” 

Floor breakfast amounted to you, Steve, Tony, Bruce, their third roommate Rhodey, and Wanda from down the hall. Everyone else bailed in favor of sleeping in on a Saturday morning. Tony spent the entire time making innuendos which Steve thankfully seemed to miss or at least ignore. 

Your lack of sleep started to get to you and your head drooped against Steve’s shoulder. 

“Yo, earth to y/n.” 

“Huh, what?” you jolted away from Steve. 

“You’re about to face plant in your pancakes,” Rhodey chuckled. 

“Time for sleep. I’ll see you guys later.” 

“It was nice meeting you,” Steve smiled as he stood up with you. 

His hand rested on the small of your back as he walked you back to your room. 

“Any plans for the rest of the weekend?” 

“Besides losing consciousness for the next five hours?” 

“Yeah, besides that.” 

“I have to write both lab reports. They’re due Monday,” you groaned. “I think I might try your Friday lab trick next semester.” 

He rocked back on his heels, inhaling before speaking. 

“Well, I was thinking about getting a head start on mine for next week. Do you want to meet up and work on them together?” 

“That would be great. Wanna say 1 o’clock tomorrow?” 

“Perfect. I can show you my favorite study spot.” 

“Looking forward to it,” you yawned. 

“You are dead on your feet. Go get some sleep.” 

“Sweet dreams, Steve,” you smiled and automatically hugged him. 

Before you could get self-conscious about your impulsiveness, he wound his arms around your waist and squeezed. 

“Sweet dreams, y/n.” 

As it turned out, Steve’s favorite study spot was the top floor of the science building in a nook that had comfy couches and a glass roof. 

“How did you even find this place?” 

“I’m very good at finding hidden gems. I like to think I can look beyond what everyone else sees and…” you crossed your arms and stared him down, and he hung his head. “Okay, fine. I got super lost on the way to bio labs on the first day of classes.” 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. But it’s a great find. I bet no one comes up here.” 

“No one has so far. It’s been a real sanctuary.” 

“Thanks for sharing it with me.”

“My pleasure.” 

You shared a smile as you unpacked your bags. 

“Do you want to start with bio or chem?” 

“Let’s do chem. I looked it over and it shouldn’t take too long. Do you mind if I put on some music?” 

“Go for it.” 

Steve was a godsend when it came to maximizing your efficiency. He knew exactly when to push you and went to let you ramble about whatever random thing popped into your head. 

“Do you think you’d want to make this a regular thing?” you asked during your dinner break. 

“Are you talking about working together or eating delicious Chinese food? Because the answer is yes to both,” he grumbled around a bite of fried rice. “Do you want to look at our schedules? Maybe you could help me organize at the same time.” 

“Steve, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” 

“Yes.” He inhaled and looked deeply into your eyes. “Y/n, will you teach me your color coding ways?” 

“I would love nothing more,” you cheered. “Wow. That was nerdy.” 

“Haven’t you heard? Nerdy is the new cool.” 

“No, it’s not,” you giggled. 

He shrugged, “Maybe not. But you’re cute when you’re excited.” 

“Well I’m about to be unbearably adorable then.” 


	6. Chapter 6

Once you had compared your schedules, you set aside two afternoons and all day Sunday to study and work together. You were tempted to add in some less structured time with Steve to his calendar, but refrained. But that didn’t matter, because the two of you managed to become inseparable in the next few weeks. If you weren’t working or in class you could probably be found together. 

It was late on a Tuesday when you were camped out in your study spot. Steve groaned in frustration, raking his hand through his already messy hair and flipping through his notebook. 

“What’s wrong?” you asked as you capped your highlighter. 

“I can’t find my notes on thermodynamics. I thought I had made a chart of all the different scenarios.” 

“It’s stapled to your packet from that week,” you reminded him softly. 

“Right. God, what would I do without you?” 

“Crash and burn,” you teased, standing up to stretch, groaning as your joints popped. 

“Probably,” he shrugged. 

He yanked his binder from the bottom of a stack of books and started flipping through for the right week, while you moved to stand behind him, carding your fingers through his hair. 

“Maybe you should take a break,” you suggested. 

“No time. Gotta keep going.” 

“Five minutes. Your brain needs a break.” 

“What makes you say that?” 

“You wrote chemical milkshake instead mixture.” 

“No I didn’t.” He scanned the last line of his notes and sure enough you were right. “Oh okay. Five minutes.” 

“Good choice.” 

You began to massage his shoulders and he sighed and sank down in the chair. 

“Have I told you how perfect you are lately?” 

“At least once a day,” you grinned down at him, leaning over to kiss the tip of his nose. “And you’re pretty perfect yourself.” 

He grabbed your hand and pulled you around to sit in his lap. 

“Are your parents coming this weekend?” 

“No. I told them not to bother because the tickets were crazy expensive. Is your mom coming?” 

He lit up and you knew the answer. 

“Yeah, she managed to switch shifts at the last minute. She’s driving up with Buck’s family.” 

“That’s awesome. I’m sure you’ll all have a great time.” 

You tried not to be disappointed but Steve could tell you were. 

“We’re going to do a lot of sight-seeing. Would you come with us? I really want you to get to know my mom.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, I mean I think she should meet the person who I spend all my time with and share a bed with half the time.” 

“We share a room, not a bed,” you corrected. 

“Whatever,” he laughed. “I want my mom to meet my best girl. So will you come?” 

“Of course. I would love to.” 

He tugged you closer so you were resting on his chest. 

“Good. Ma’s going to be thrilled.” 

Having survived the exam, you went back to your room to change and wait for Steve to finish his labs for the day. His mom and Bucky’s family were arriving for dinner around six. 

Two hours later, you had tried on and discarded your eighth outfit of the afternoon. 

“Hot date?” Nat asked as she narrowly avoided the blouse you had chucked at your bed. 

“No, I’m going out to dinner with Steve and his mom.” 

“Ooh,” she cooed as she kicked off her shoes and stowed her backpack under her desk. “Meeting the boyfriend’s family, huh?” 

“Steve’s not my boyfriend.” You had had this argument before with a lot of people. 

Sometimes it felt like the only person in the university that you hadn’t talked to about whether or not you and Steve were dating was Steve. 

“When are you two going to just admit what everyone else has known since the third week of school?”

“And that would be?” 

“You two are perfect for each other and you should just admit that you’ve been dating since you’ve met.” 

“We have not,” you argued yet again. 

“The how come you’re literally always together kissing and cuddling.” 

This was her favorite argument. You shrugged. 

“We’re just close is all. And it’s not like we make out. It’s just little pecks here and there. I’m affectionate.” 

“Only with him. Besides, you guys have really never lip locked in all of the nights you’ve slept together?” 

“We’ve never actually slept in the same bed, so no.” 

“And you’ve never thought about jumping his bones?” 

You smirked and held up your hand. 

“Now I didn’t say that. But I’m not one for random hookups.” 

“He’s hardly a rando. You two are practically soulmates. I think you’d make a great couple.” 

“I know, I do too,” you finally admitted. “But he’s become my best friend. I don’t want to risk that. I really don’t think he likes me like that.” 

“Y/n, you know he looks at you like you’re the whole world right?” 

“Sappy much?” you scoffed. 

“Accurate much?” she mocked. 

You sighed flopping onto your bed. 

“I think you’re crazy.” 

“Maybe I am,” she shrugged. “But I do have good fashion sense. Do you want some help picking out an outfit?” 

“Please.” 

“Of course.” 

She immediately started searching through your closet. Occasionally she would pause before continuing on. 

“Hmmm. What to wear to meet your future mother-in-law.” 

“Nat!” you chided and threw a pillow at her. 

“How about this?” 

You looked at the wine colored skater dress she’d pulled out and smiled. 

“That could work.” 

You paired it with gray tights and your black ankle boots, and a short black sweater. 

“Very cute,” she gave you a thumb’s up. 

“Appropriate?” 

“Absolutely.” 

Your phone vibrated aggressively on the dresser, and you grinned when you saw the name and the photo on the screen. 

“Hello, love.” 

“Hey, sweetheart, I just finished lab. I need to grab a shower and change, but did you want to come over. We can watch TV until my mom gets here.” 

“Sounds like a plan. Thirty minutes enough time?” 

“Perfect.” 

“Alright, I’ll see you then.” 

“See you, sweetness.” 

You hung up and turned to ask Nat’s opinion on which necklace to wear only to find her staring at you with her arms folded over her chest. 

“What?” 

“Yeah, you’re totally not dating,” she sighed dramatically. “It’s totally normal to have pet names like that.” 

“I call everyone pet names.” 

“Yeah, like honey and sweetie. Not love. And Steve doesn’t call anyone by nicknames.” 

“We’re not dating,” you said firmly. 

It wasn’t like you hadn’t thought about it, but you loved what you had with Steve and you didn’t want to risk ruining it. 

“Alright fine. You’re not dating. But you should be. Just tell him the truth.” 

“You are insufferable.” 

“Only when I’m right.” 

You rolled your eyes but ignored her, picking up the clothes you had strewn about.

Thirty minutes later you were knocking on Steve and Bucky’s door. 

“Oh hey, y/n,” Bucky greeted you with a grin. “Come on in. Steve’s still in the shower.” He stepped back to let you into the room. “Where are you going all dressed up?” 

“I’m coming to dinner with you guys tonight. Did Steve not tell you? Oh god, is this too much?” 

You started to panic, and Bucky chuckled. 

“Easy, doll. I was only teasing. You look lovely.” 

“Thanks,” you mumbled, sinking down into the bean bag chair they had for gaming sessions. 

“What’s got you so nervous?” 

“I just really want Steve’s mom to like me. And your family too.” 

“They’re gonna love you. Especially Sarah. She’ll probably try to adopt you on the spot.” 

“I think I’m a little old to be adopted.” 

“Then she’ll probably take the next best thing.” 

“And that would be….” 

“You as her daughter-in-law,” he grinned waggling his eyebrows. 

“Bucky, be serious.” 

The edge of panic was back in your voice. When Nat teased you about marrying Steve it was one thing. When Bucky did it, it was a whole other thing. 

“I am. They’re going to love you, because you’re awesome. And Steve thinks the world of you.” 

“And what do you think of me?” 

“I think you’re alright.” 

“Gee thanks.” 

He chuckled and nudged you over so he could sit next to you on the bean bag chair. 

“So, is Dot joining us this weekend?” 

“No way. We’re so far from the meeting the family stage. In fact I don’t even know if I’m going to keep seeing her.” 

“Aw how come?” 

“I don’t know. We’re physically compatible but, mentally we don’t really click.” 

“Not enough in common?” 

“No. It’s more, I feel like I can’t relax with her. I want what you have with Steve.” 

“Matching color-coded schedules?” you quipped trying to make him laugh but it didn’t work. 

“No. You guys are so at ease with each other. It’s like you’ve known each other forever.” 

“You’ll find that, Bucky. I promise. But if you aren’t comfortable with Dot, I think you should break it off. Neither of you deserve to be in a dead end relationship.”

“I know. And you’re right. It just sucks.” 

“I know. But you’ve got Stevie. And you’ve got me.” 

He leaned his head against your shoulder, sighing heavily. 

“Do you want to know what I really think of you, doll?” he asked after a quiet moment. 

You nodded and then realized he couldn’t see you.

“Yeah, I do.” 

He pulled back so he could look you in the eye. 

“I think you’re amazing. And I’m real glad Stevie found a girl worth his time. And I’m glad I got a great new friend.” 

“I love you, Buck.” 

“Love you too, doll.” 

He kissed the top of your head and you tucked your head against his shoulder, enjoying the moment. 

The silence was broken when you heard shuffling outside the door and the sound of keys hitting the floor, followed by several other items. 

“Shit.”

“It’s unlocked, you goon,” Bucky called. 

More swearing and dropping. When Bucky didn’t get up to help him, you pushed yourself to your feet and opened the door. You weren’t expecting to see Steve in just a towel, still wet from the shower, and you suddenly felt very warm, and Steve’s cheeks went from pink to red. 

“Hey, y/n, I wasn’t expecting you here yet. Am I late?” He moved his wrist to check his watch until he realized that he wasn’t wearing it, and he really needed to keep his grip on his towel. 

“A little. But that’s okay. I’ll umm, go wait in the common room until you’re… ready.” 

You scooted past him, ignoring the raucous laughter Bucky couldn’t hold in any longer. You picked up the bottle of shampoo he’d dropped and abruptly turned around, trying to walk away calmly. You were relieved to find the common room empty and you plopped down on the couch fanning yourself. 

You started playing a game on your phone to pass the time, and distract yourself. 

“Hey, sweetness.” Steve was now wearing khakis and light blue button up that brought out his eyes. 

“You sure clean up nice.” 

He pulled you to your feet gently and kissed you on the cheek before holding you at arm’s length. 

“I’d say the same, but you always look beautiful.” 

“Have you always been such a sweet-talker?” 

“Literally never,” he chuckled. “But you make it easy. I just have to state the obvious.” 


	7. Chapter 7

“Looks like traffic from Brooklyn to Boston on a Friday afternoon was worse than they thought. They’re still in Connecticut,” Bucky reported at 5:30. “Becca says it’ll probably be two more hours.” 

Steve frowned but nodded.

“I’ll call and see if we can move our reservation.” 

“Good plan, but I’m starving. I’m going to go to the dining hall. You two coming?” 

“I ate after lab. Sweetness?” 

“Not that hungry,” you yawned. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah, I ate a ton after the exam.” 

“Alright. Well I’m going to head down there then.” 

Steve was already dialing the restaurants number so Bucky waved and left. You hopped down from the bed and he looked at you questioningly. You mouthed “bathroom” at him and slipped out of the room as the host answered the phone. 

When you returned Steve was sprawled out on the bean bag chair flipping through his phone. 

“Did they move the reservation?” you asked as you kicked your boots off and shrugged out of your sweater. 

“Yup. We will now be seated at 8:30.” 

“Perfect.” 

You settled yourself between his legs, leaning back on his right thigh so you could look at him. He smiled softly as he scrubbed a hand over his face. 

“You look tired, love.” 

“I am. The labs were killer today.” 

“Yeah, this week was bad,” you agreed. 

“Do you want to watch some more supernatural?” 

You weighed the options, grimacing slightly. 

“I’m taking that as a no,” he chuckled as he rubbed circles into your lower back. 

“I’m just not really awake for it. Something less mentally taxing?” 

“Scooby Doo?” 

“Perfect.” 

“Witch’s Ghost?” 

You nodded excitedly and shifted on the bean bag so you were leaning fully against him. He reached for the remote and turned on the movie before settling his arms around your waist. 

Neither of you had realized how much the three almost all-nighters had gotten to you, and soon you were fast asleep. 

You woke to a bright flash. 

“Becca,” someone hissed as you rubbed your eyes trying to get your bearings. 

“The flash wasn’t supposed to be on,” someone whispered back. 

As you blinked away the blurriness your eyes widened and your stomach dropped. You scrambled to your feet waking Steve in the process. Bucky seemed to be unsure whether he was amused or apologetic. You fiddled with your dress and tried to discreetly smooth your hair down. 

“Oh hey everybody.” He grinned, unfazed as he hopped to his feet and hugged his mom. “I’m so glad you could come, ma.” 

“Me too, sweetheart.” 

When he let go of her, he reached out and slipped his hand in yours tugging you closer. 

“Everyone, this is y/n. She’s my best girl.” You hadn’t been sure how he was going to introduce you, but the term had a warm feeling settle in your stomach. “Y/n, this is my mom.” 

“It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs. Rogers.” 

“Sarah,” she corrected. “Please. And I’m so glad I finally get to meet you. You’re even prettier than your picture.”

You bit your lip as you glanced up at Steve. His cheeks were pink and he nudged you towards Mr. Barnes. 

“And this is Bucky’s dad.” 

“George,” the older gentleman supplied with a kind smile. You could see where Bucky got his looks from. 

“You can call me, Winnie, dear,” Bucky’s mother offered as she took your hand and squeezed it in both of hers. 

“And I’m Becca. We’ve heard so much about you,” Bucky’s little sister gushed surging forward to hug you, making you drop Steve’s hand to embrace her. 

“Bex, chill,” Bucky laughed. 

She pulled back, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. 

“Sorry.” 

“Oh be quiet, Bucky. I’m really excited to meet you too,” you told her with a genuine smile. 

Your nerves settled fairly quickly once you got to dinner. Sarah and Bucky’s family were so kind – hardly a surprise knowing their sons, but it still put you at ease. 

“So you’re studying biology as well?” 

“Yes, I am.” 

“And are you premed too?” George asked. 

“No, I ruled that path out a while ago. I do want to be in the medical field just on the other side of it.” 

“Injuring people?” Bucky teased and you rolled your eyes, but smiled good-naturedly. 

“Research,” you explained. “Regenerative medicine, to be exact. But even that is still broad so I’m still trying to figure out my future.” 

“That’s very impressive, Y/n. Now what exactly is regenerative medicine?” 

“The area I’m interested in basically strips something like a skin cell back to its most basic state where it can become any cell type. It hasn’t made what are called cell fate decisions.” 

“And how does that help?” 

“Well, by itself it doesn’t really. But the goal is to discover what specific factors cause these cell fate decisions and induce them in the pluripotent cells to create whatever type we want. The end goal being to recreate tissue and even organs that won’t be rejected by patients because it’s their own DNA. But that’s a long way down the road.” 

They asked a fair amount of questions and you ended up spending the next twenty minutes explaining the research you someday dreamed of doing. You were so engrossed in what you were talking about that you didn’t notice the slightly awed look Steve was giving you. Bucky didn’t take much notice, that was how Steve always looked at you when you weren’t paying attention, but the rest of the family certainly did. 

“How do you choose something like this? I’ve never even heard of it,” Sarah wondered. 

“I sort of fell into it. I was reading for bio class junior year about cell fate decisions, and I had this thought – what if we could decide which cell type something would become? We could do so much. I thought I was so original, and then I found out there was a whole field dedicated to doing just that.”

“That’s amazing.” 

“It was a welcome discovery if I’m honest. I thought I would end up in medicine, but the prospect of working directly with patients was a bit daunting. This way I’ll get to stay in the field and focus on the science. Assuming everything goes to plan.“

“So you want to save the world?” Winnie deduced. 

“As much of it as I can,” you announced proudly. 

“You two really are well matched,” George chuckled as he looked between you and Steve. 

“There’s a reason she’s my best girl.” 

“Thanks again for letting me stay with you tonight, y/n.” 

“Of course. I’m glad we get to hang out for a bit.” 

“Sorry if I was kind of overzealous earlier. It’s just the way Bucky and Steve talk about you, I knew you’d be really cool,” she mumbled as she played with the end of her braid. 

“You weren’t at all. I promise. It was actually a relief. I was super nervous about meeting you guys.” 

She cocked her head in confusion. “Why were you nervous?” 

“I wanted to make a good impression. Though I probably didn’t do a great job of that.” 

“Because you two were asleep when we came in?” 

You bit your lip and nodded. 

“It was honestly really cute. And from what we could tell, totally innocent.” 

“Of course,” you rushed to confirm. 

“You have nothing to worry about. You completely live up to the hype.” 

“So do you.” 

“So, since I’m not sure we’ll get any other time alone together, is there anything you want to know about the guys?” Becca offered with a mischievous grin. 

“Is there anything juicy I should know?” 

“Well…” 

The two of you spent a couple of hours gossiping and getting to know each other. Becca was so endearing, you two were fast friends. 

That was how the whole weekend felt. You managed one on one time with all of them, and you grew very close to Sarah. She shared your love of music and the ballet and you fell into easy conversation. On Sunday, after brunch, the seven of you were walking through the park when you noticed one of the public pianos was open. 

“Would you like to play a little?” Sarah asked when she noticed your preoccupation. 

“I wish I knew how. I can pluck out Mary Had a Little Lamb and that’s about it. Do you play?” 

“I used to. I can show you a little if you like?” 

“Please.” 

The two of you sat on the cold wooden bench and she ran her fingers up and down the scale. 

“Surprisingly well tuned for an outdoor piano. So place your hands like this,” she demonstrated and then fixed your hands as you attempted to mimic her. “Good. 

You fiddled around playing a few little snatches of things. 

“Maybe I’ll stick to singing.” 

“That is always an option,” she laughed as she absent-mindedly played a soothing tune. “Y/n, darling. I am so glad that Steve has found you.” 

Her words twisted in your gut and you felt like you had been deceiving her. 

“Sarah, I have to be completely honest with you.” 

“About what?” 

“Steve and I aren’t dating.” 

The crinkle of worry that had creased her forehead disappeared as she laughed. 

“I know that, sweetheart.” 

“You do?” 

“I do.” 

“Then why…” 

She continued playing but looked over at you. 

“Steve has had Bucky his entire life. Even when he had no one else. When he finally got healthy and grew into his handsome self,” you glanced over at Steve, smiling at how he held himself as he spoke to George and Winnie. “People finally noticed him, but they didn’t care about him. It’s obvious that you do.” 

“I really do.” 

“Do you feel better now?” She asked, blue eyes twinkling just like Steve’s. 

“Much.” You finally recognized the song she was playing and began to hum the opening chords. “I love this song.” 

“It was always one of Steve’s favorites when he was little. His father and I would put the record on and dance to it, and he always loved it.” 

Your eyes drifted shut, imagining dancing with Steve as you began to sing along. 

_Stars shining bright above you_

_Night breezes seem to whisper I love you_

_Birds singing in the sycamore trees_

_Dream a little dream of me_

You sang quietly, not wanting to draw to much attention to yourself. But it felt good to stretch your vocal chords. 

“Wow.” 

Your eyes snapped open at Steve’s hushed exclamation, and you twisted around to look at him. 

“I could listen to you sing forever.” 

You felt like a deer in headlights, caught by his intense gaze. 

“Well, that’s very hard on the vocal chords, so you’ll have to settle for special occasions,” Sarah teased, breaking the moment, allowing you to breathe. 


	8. Chapter 8

“Is Bucky staying at Dot’s tonight?” you asked as Steve plopped himself next to you. 

“I think so, why?” 

“Nat said that she and Clint are probably going to crash in ours after the party.” 

“So you’ll be staying with me then?” 

“If you don’t mind,” you said quickly. You regularly stayed in each other’s rooms but you still sometimes felt odd asking him. 

“Well, I’ll have to cancel that rager I’d been planning to have in my tiny dorm room.” 

“I’m wounded that I wasn’t invited, Steven.” 

He shrugged, “Guess you’re not cool enough.” 

“I see how it is,” you scoffed elbowing his ribs lightly before jokingly turning away from him and continuing to type. 

“You know I never mind you spending the night.”

You didn’t respond. 

“I’m sorry.” He leaned over and kissed you on the cheek, but you continued to ignore him, though he could see you were fighting a smile, which spurred him on. “Aw come on, sweetness. I’m sorry. You’re way cooler than me, and you know it.” He nuzzled his nose against your neck making you giggle as you pushed him away.

“Steeeve,” you whined. 

“Yes, love?” he asked with an earnest look. 

“Quit distracting me from my paper. I need to get this done.” 

“But it’s Friday night.” 

“And this is due at midnight, so behave.” 

“Fine.” 

He stretched out along the wall and you leaned back against him as you looked up citations, and finalized your formatting, ignoring the drumming of Steve’s fingers on your ribcage. It was a tick he had, and you had long since grown used to it. 

“Alright. That’s it. I’m done. It’s submitted!” you announced triumphantly as you closed your laptop tucked it under his pillow. 

“Congratulations, love. Does this mean that we can finally join in the Halloweekend festivities?” he asked as he gently tugged on you to lay down with him. 

“I thought you said you didn’t want to go out tonight?” 

A wave of guilt shot through you at the thought that he had stayed in for you. 

“Who said anything about going out? I’m talking about popcorn and a Halloween movie marathon.” 

“What kind of Halloween movies?” you asked suspiciously. 

“Not horror,” he laughed loudly. “I’m thinking the best of the Disney Channel Halloween movies. Halloweentown, Halloweentown II.” 

“If Scream Team is not on the list this friendship is over,” you teased. 

“Of course Scream Team is on the list.” He looked horrified by the prospect of its absence. “Along with Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire.” 

“Very acceptable list.” 

His phone started vibrating violently. 

“Hello. Yes, okay. I’ll be right there.” 

“Who is calling you right now?” you wondered as he pushed himself into sitting position. 

“That would be Insomnia Cookies with our midnight snacks. Figured you deserved a reward for getting your paper done.” 

“You sure know the way to a girl’s heart, Rogers.” 

“Just yours, sweetness.” He kissed the tip of your nose as he gingerly climbed over you and dropped down to the ground. “I’ll be back up in a few.” 

“I’ll be here.” 

You sat for a few moments, soaking in the relief that came with turning in your second big writing assignment of the semester. You decided to change into your PJs while Steve was out of the room, so you grabbed the set you kept there from his top drawer and quickly changed into the shorts and tank top, leaving the sweatshirt tucked into corner of the bed. It always got cold when Steve moved over to Bucky’s bed, and you knew tonight wouldn’t be any different. 

By the time Steve returned, you had the movies queued up on an autoplay loop on the TV and the popcorn microwaved (without burning it – unlike Bucky three weeks prior). He handed you the precious cargo before changing into a pair of sweatpants and a sleep shirt. 

“Ready?” 

“Yep. Just hit the lights.” 

He checked the lock on the door and flipped out the lights before clambering into bed beside you. You tried (and failed) not to focus on the way his arms bulged when he hoisted himself up – arms that were wrapped around you seconds later.


	9. Chapter 9

Once you’d both finished the snacks you had silently gestured for Steve to lie down with you. He was more than happy to oblige, moving the popcorn bowl to his dresser and stretching out so you could lie down in front of him. You pressed yourself as close to him as humanly possible and pulled the blanket up under your chin. 

You caught snatches of familiar dialogue, but mostly what you were aware was Steve’s heartbeat, strong and steady. Your breathing synchronized as you drifted in and out, so you were immediately aware when Steve attempted to untangle himself. 

“What’s going on?” you mumbled, trying to open your eyes. 

“Sorry, sweetness. I didn’t mean to wake you. I was just going to move to Buck’s bed.” 

You whined and shook your head, wrapping your arms around his neck. 

“Stay. Please.” 

“Are you sure, sweetness?” 

Unthinkingly, you hitched your leg around his hip.

“I want to be close to you,” you whispered, much of the sleepiness gone as you locked eyes with him. 

“Y/n,” he breathed out as his hand slid from your hip to the back of your thigh, squeezing lightly. 

You felt the shift in the air as he leaned closer. You were focused on his lips as your brain was screaming about the line you were about to cross, the line you and he had drawn in silent agreement. It was about to be shattered. 

You were so lost in each other that neither of you heard the lock click or the door swing open, so the light turning on had you lurching apart. 

“Did I interrupt something?” Bucky asked as the three of you traded wide-eyed stares. 

Steve was breathing heavily beside you as you clutched at your heart, willing it to slow down. 

“No. We were just half asleep. The light scared me.” 

“Same,” Steve agreed, happy to follow along with your lie. 

“Sorry, I must have misread your text. I thought you were going to be in y/n’s room.” 

“I thought you were staying at Dot’s.” 

He cringed at the name, and you noticed how distraught he looked. Shaking away the last of the moment with Steve, you sat up fully, untangling yourself from the blankets so you could hop down to the ground. 

“Bucky, are you okay?” 

“Dot and I broke up,” he mumbled. 

“Oh, Bucky, I’m so sorry.” You rushed to hug him. “What happened?” 

He didn’t answer immediately so you started to backpedal as Steve pulled him in for his own firm embrace. 

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Or if you want to just talk to Steve, I can find somewhere else to stay tonight.” 

“It’s okay, doll. Please don’t go anywhere on account of me.” 

His smile was weak. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

“I guess.” 

“You don’t have to, Buck,” Steve soothed, carefully guiding him down his desk chair. 

“No, I want to. I’m just thrown I guess.” 

Steve flipped his own chair around so he could straddle it, and you sat cross-legged on the storage ottoman you’d bought to store all your crap in. You both waited patiently for him to begin. 

“I mean I haven’t felt totally right about her for a while. I talked to both of you about this.” 

You nodded. “So you spoke to her about it?” 

“Yeah. I wasn’t planning on doing it tonight. But when we got back from the party, she wanted to hook up and I just couldn’t do it.” 

“So you told her you wanted to break up?” Steve pressed. 

“No. I started off saying we needed to take a look at where our relationship was going.” 

“Okay, that’s fair. It doesn’t imply break up. Just change,” you assessed. 

“How did she respond?” Steve’s voice was weary, already knowing it was a bad outcome. 

“She said what relationship?” 

“That fucking bitch.” You hadn’t meant for it to come out, but it was just your immediate reaction. 

Both boys chuckled slightly at your outburst. You swore a lot but you rarely name-called. 

“Tell me how you really feel, doll.” 

“Sorry.” 

“Don’t be. Anyways, I kind of just stared at her confused. Because I was pretty sure we’d been going out for like two months. I mean for Christ’ sake we did a couple’s costume.” 

He gestured down to the scrubs he was wearing. The sleeves had been removed to expose his toned arms. And the collar was cut in a deep V down to his abs. You hadn’t focused on it before, but now you were holding back giggles. 

“Let me guess, sexy doctor and nurse?” Steve asked drily. 

“It wasn’t my idea,” was Bucky’s only defense. 

“I think it’s cute,” you defended. “But definitely a couple thing,” you added, steering the conversation back to the topic at hand. 

“Right. But apparently, I wasn’t the only guy she was seeing. She’s been screwing Brock Rumlow for a month.” 

“Eww. Why?” 

“I didn’t ask. I told her to lose my number and bailed.” 

You reached out to hold Bucky’s hand, running your thumb over his knuckles. 

“Bucky, I love you and you are totally allowed to be sad, but you are so much better off without this girl. If she didn’t see what a catch you were then she is totally blind. You deserve someone way better than her.” 

“Seriously, Buck, you never seemed super happy with her. You deserve someone who lifts you up, not drags you down.” 

“Thanks. Both of you. Sorry I ruined your night. I’m sure you don’t want to hear this crap.” 

“Bucky, quit it. You’re my best friend. I’m here for you. Always,” Steve reminded him. “Ya jerk.”

“Punk,” he laughed, before focusing his attention on you. 

“Don’t you dare apologize to me for this, James Buchanan Barnes,” you warned. 

“I would never. Now, I really don’t want to talk about what happened to anymore. So maybe you should go back to whatever you were doing before I came in.” 

You felt a blush creeping over your body and you didn’t dare look at Steve, terrified of what your face would telegraph. Instead you glanced at the clock. 

“Well we had been watching movies, but I think we should go an adventure,” you suggested. 

“At two in the morning?” Bucky asked in surprise. “Where to?” 

“A magical place.” 

Bucky stared in confusion, but Steve chuckled beside you. 

“You want more insomnia cookies don’t you?” Steve guessed. 

Your grin widened as you nodded. 

“And you don’t want to order delivery because we did once tonight and you don’t want the delivery boy to judge us…” 

“No… okay. Maybe. But I also think nighttime adventures are fun. Pretty please?” you pouted, batting your eyelashes at Steve. 

“I don’t know why you’re bothering to pout, you know I’m going to say yes.” 

You beamed and kissed him on the cheek. 

“What about you, Buck? Wanna go on an adventure?” 

“To get cookies? Absolutely.” 

“Then let’s go!” 


	10. Chapter 10

“Thank you for tonight. I really needed it,” Bucky whispered as the three of you crept back into the dorm five hours later. 

“Any time, Bucky.” 

You stepped away from Steve who’d been supporting you and stumbled a few steps to hug Bucky. 

“Easy there, doll.” You felt the chuckle rumble through his chest and he kissed the top of your head. “I think we all need to get some sleep.” 

“Most definitely.” 

You squeezed Bucky’s waist one more time before excusing yourself to go the bathroom. 

Brushing your teeth and washing your face woke you up enough that you weren’t walking into walls as you returned to the room where Bucky was already face down in his bed snoring and Steve was in just his boxers and a tank top straightening out his sheets. You really couldn’t complain about the view. 

“So we’re sleeping like all day, right?” you whispered, careful not to wake Bucky. 

“Every alarm in this room has been turned off,” he whispered back. 

“Good.” 

You kicked off your shoes and tugged off the sweatpants you’d put on over your PJ’s. Steve gave you a hand climbing into bed before asking you for his pillow. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Steve. You’re not sleeping on the floor. There’s plenty of room.” You patted the empty space beside you. 

“But we’ve never…” 

“First time for everything.” You offered him a reassuring smile and reached for his hand. “Please.” 

He deliberated for a moment before nodding. 

“Okay. If you’re sure.” 

“M’always sure when it comes to you.” 

Steve climbed into bed, shifting around awkwardly until he was comfortable. Once he was settled, you laid your head on his chest and fell asleep in seconds. 

You woke up completely entangled in Steve. One of his hands had found its way beneath your shirt and was resting on the bare skin of your back and one of yours was clutching at his bicep. 

“Good morning, sweetness,” Steve mumbled into your hair when he felt you stirring. 

“Good morning. Have you been awake long?” You whispered. You could still hear Bucky’s snores from the other side of the room. 

“About half an hour?” 

“You should have woken me up.” 

“Why? I was perfectly comfortable.”

You could hear the smile in his voice. 

“What time is it?” 

“A little after one.” 

“We should get up. Shouldn’t we?” you asked half-heartedly. 

“We could. But I was kind of thinking we stay in bed all day. We can finish watching the movies from last night. How does that sound?” 

“Dreamy.” 

Despite your words, you began to untangle yourself, drawing a whine from him. 

“Where are you going?” 

“I have to pee. I’ll be right back. I promise.” 

“Fine,” he sighed dramatically, flopping back onto his pillows. 

Rolling your eyes, you pecked him on each cheek before climbing out of bed as quietly as possible. 

You couldn’t keep the smile off your face for long. Waking up in Steve’s arms had been even better than you’d imagined (and you’d imagined it a lot). You were already scheming to make it a regular occurrence. 

You were so giddy, you practically skipped back to the room. But, you stopped short in the doorway when you found Sam, Rhodey, Tony, and Riley chattering loudly in the room. 

Steve shot you an apologetic look when he spotted you, but you shook your head minutely. 

“Hello, sunshine,” Sam greeted you with a bright smile and a one-armed hug. 

“What’s going on in here?” 

“A party of course,” Riley grinned at you. 

“I was wondering where you were. I heard the bed rocking coming from your room this morning,” Tony laughed. “I thought maybe…” 

He didn’t get a chance to finish the thought when Rhodey smacked him in the chest, but everyone knew what he was getting at. 

“Guess not,” he shrugged and you resisted the urge to throw something at him. 

“Wanda just texted that the dining hall has the best hangover pizza today, and I desperately need that. Anyone else up for some food?” Bucky asked, indirectly changing the subject. 

Your stomach growled immediately at the mention. 

“Well, that’s one. Everybody else in?” 

There were murmurs of agreement and you all tramped out of the room. You were about to turn back to grab your sweatshirt when Steve draped his hoodie over your shoulders. Once you pushed the sleeves up to free your hands, Steve reached down and laced your fingers together. 

It was loud and chaotic as you all piled into a booth with mountains of food. You were pleased with your spot in the middle of the table, squished between Steve and Bucky until you decided you desperately wanted waffles and hot chocolate. With six people on one side and seven on the other there was no way out. 

“What’s the matter, sweetness?” Steve asked, noticing your perplexed expression.

“I want waffles. But I’m stuck.” 

“There’s always up and over,” Sam suggested. 

You glanced over the back of the booth, weighing your options. 

“Do you want me to go first, doll?” Bucky offered, and you nodded. 

He maneuvered himself so he was standing and gracefully hopped over the back. 

“Alright, your turn.” You shot him an unconvinced look. “It’ll be fine. Just sit up here,” he patted the back of the booth, “And then swing your legs over. I’ll help you down.” 

Steve placed a steadying hand on your back as you climbed to your feet and did as Bucky instructed. Once you had spun around, you placed your hands on his shoulders as he held onto your waist and lowered you down to the ground. 

“Thanks, Buck.” 

“No problem.” 

“We’ll be back.” 

You waved as the two of you headed for the waffle makers. 

“I’m really sorry about interrupting last night, doll.” 

“You didn’t interrupt anything, Bucky. We were just watching a movie.” You tried to sound as convincing as possible. 

“When I walked in, it was pretty clear neither of you were paying attention to the TV.” 

“We were talking about the movie.” 

“You’re a horrible liar. You know that right?” he laughed. “Come on, doll. It’s me. I spend more time with the two of you than anyone else.” 

“Then you know as well as I do that our relationship, while admittedly intense, is purely platonic.” 

Bucky crossed his arms and leaned next to the hot chocolate machine you were attempting to use. 

“Doesn’t mean it has to be. Have you and Steve ever actually talked about taking things to the next level?” 

“No. We’re both happy the way things are. Last night, we were just caught in a moment.” 

He clearly didn’t believe you, so you decided on another line of argument. 

“Okay, maybe it wasn’t just a moment. But adding that aspect to our relationship could screw everything up.” 

“You won’t know unless you try. And, doll, it’s obvious you both want it. The only thing that could screw up your relationship is if you stop being honest with each other. So be honest with him.” 

You worried your bottom lip as you gazed up at him, somewhat helplessly. 

“What if he doesn’t feel the same way?” 

“You know how he feels about you now right? Without the physical stuff.” 

“He loves me,” you whispered. Of that much you were sure. 

“So in the off chance that he doesn’t want something physical, he still loves you. Talking to him about this won’t change that. Nothing could.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“You know how stubborn he is. Once he loves someone, there’s no going back. And by the way, just because you’re happy, doesn’t mean you couldn’t be happier. You two deserve all of the happiness in the world.” 

“So do you, Buck. I’m so glad I have you.” 

“I’m glad I have you too, doll.” 

You hugged him tightly for a moment before pulling back and finally taking your waffle out and breaking the moment. 

“I can’t believe we had a heart to heart in front of a waffle maker in the dining hall,” you giggled as you walked back to the booth. 

“Stranger things have happened,” he grinned and bumped his hip against yours, making you spill a little of your hot chocolate. “Oh crap, sorry, doll.” 

“Jerk,” you muttered with mock outrage. 

“Punk,” he shot back with a wink and your grin widened so much your cheeks hurt. 


	11. Chapter 11

After lunch the guys decided to go play basketball, and you used the time to clean up your room which had fallen into complete disarray during the last two weeks of midterms. You also opted for a long hot shower – well, as hot as crappy dorm showers got – to relax and ponder over what you and Bucky had discussed. 

You knew he was right, and you knew that after last night, you couldn’t just push off the conversation. Mainly because you didn’t want to. You wanted to cross that line with Steve, but you weren’t sure how. 

You dressed in your comfiest pajamas and Steve’s hoodie and made your way to his room with a box of popcorn since he had run out the night before. Bucky was waiting for the elevator when you stepped out of the stairway. 

“Hey, doll.” 

“Hey, Buck. You headed out?” 

“Yeah, the black box theater is showing horror movies all night. I’m going to head down there with Sam and Riley.” 

“Oh that sounds fun.” 

“Wanna come?” he asked with a smirk, knowing you hated horror movies. 

“Hard pass. I kind of like sleeping without nightmares.” 

“I’m sure Steve would chase the bad dreams away,” he teased. 

Your only response was to stick your tongue out at him, making him chuckle. 

“On a more serious note, I won’t be back until tomorrow, so if you want to have any important conversations, I promise not to interrupt.” 

“We’ll see if I have the guts for that particular conversation.” 

He opened his arms for a hug and you went to him gratefully. 

“Be brave, doll. It will be worth it,” he whispered as he held you tight. 

“Thank you, Bucky.” 

“Any time. Have a good night.” 

“You too.” 

He squeezed your fingers before nudging down the hall towards his room. He gave you one last encouraging smile before you knocked on the door. 

  


Steve answered as he pulled on a shirt, hair still wet from his shower; he lit up when he saw you. 

“Hey, sweetness,” he greeted you with a kiss on the cheek as he ushered you inside. 

“How was basketball?” 

“It was fun. It’s been a while since we played. Sam and Riley kicked our asses. Don’t tell them I said that though.” 

“My lips are sealed,” you promised. 

“What did you do today?” 

“Cleaned up my room. It had gotten really bad. And since you kept my busy actually studying I didn’t procrastinate by cleaning.” 

“I’m sorry?” 

You waved away his tentative apology. 

“No need to be. It’s a good thing.” 

“Good. You’re welcome then,” he announced smugly, and you smacked his arm. “Ouch. Now what movie do you want to start with?” 

“Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire!” you cheered immediately. 

“You’ve got it, sweetness.” 

He put the movie on and turned out the lights, making sure to lock the door handle and the chain. 

“Buck’s not coming back tonight,” he explained when he noticed you leaning over the edge of the bed watching him. “And I don’t plan on leaving that bed unless it’s for a very good reason.” 

“I approve of that reasoning.” 

“Thought you might. So do you need anything before I come up there?” 

“Just you,” you told him honestly as you moved to make room for him. 

“I’m all yours,” he grinned as he crawled into bed behind you, stretching his legs out on either side of you and holding you close. “Comfy?” 

“Perfect.” 

You both kept up a steady stream of commentary throughout the movie, giggling as you pointed out flaws. 

“You know if they had both just gotten on the coffin, then the plan probably would have worked,” Steve huffed at one point. 

“Maybe they were concerned it would sink if they both got on it.” 

“Like Jack and Rose from the Titanic?” 

“You’ve seen Titanic?” You glanced back at him, surprised. 

“Becca made us watch it with her. She was in loooove with Leonardo DiCaprio.” 

“Who wasn’t?” You laughed. 

Steve scoffed and you rolled your eyes at his obvious annoyance. 

“Teen Leo was a heartthrob. It’s a verifiable fact.” 

“Anyways. Yes, I’ve seen it. And I still think Jack could have lived if they had both been on the stupid plank.” 

“I feel like they tested that on Mythbusters, but I have no idea if it was true or not.” 

“Regardless. I think it was dumb to have her hide in the bushes like he wasn’t going to find her. He’s a vampire.” 

“Agreed. But to be fair, he’s like 13 so higher reasoning isn’t quite so developed.” 

“True.” 

“Now shush. They’re having the sass off. It’s my favorite part.” 

He grumbled slightly but quieted, content to rest his chin on your shoulder and pull you even closer.

“When I was little, I thought Budapest was a type of seasoning,” you admitted when the movie ended. 

“How did you get that?” He laughed pausing the movie so you could both stretch. 

“Well when he says ‘I should have finished you in Budapest’. I thought… I mean… he was going to bite him. I thought Budapest was a way to make him tastier before he did.” 

“Oh, and how would one finish you off in Budapest?” 

“I don’t know. Feed me cookies so my blood is sweeter,” you teased pointedly. 

He kissed your shoulder, “Hmm, but you’re already so sweet.” 

Steve continued kissing from your shoulder over to your neck and instinctively you leaned your head back to give him better access. 

“Whatcha doin’, Stevie?” you giggled nervously as he found your pulse point. 

“Havin’ a taste,” he hummed, and you could hear that he wasn’t really paying attention to the question. 

Part of you wanted to stop him – to talk things through first, but the other part was begging for him to keep going. 

“Steve!” you gasped out as he nipped at your earlobe. 

The note of hysteria seemed to snap him out of a haze. 

“Oh my god, y/n, I’m so sorry. I got carried away.” 

He tried to scramble away and give you both some space but that was difficult considering you were sitting in his lap, tangled in his arms. 

“I can’t believe I did that. I’m so sorry. I crossed a line. Please forgive me,” he rambled. 

“Steve,” you whispered as you turned, remaining between his legs but now you could face him. “Breathe, love.” 

He followed your instructions, calming himself down, but you could still see the panic in his eyes. 

“I’m so sorry, y/n.” 

“Please stop apologizing. I was thoroughly enjoying myself.” 

A momentary smirk flitted across his features. 

“But this is new territory for us,” you continued. “I know we’ve been physically affectionate since we met, but…” 

“This is different,” he finished with a serious expression. “I agree.” 

“So what are we doing here?” You sounded helpless. 

“I don’t know.” You frowned, but he continued before you could get too disappointed. “But I’ll tell you what I do know. I love you, y/n. And I love the relationship we have. I don’t really know how to put into words what that is, because I’ve never felt this way about anyone else, but I would never ever do anything to jeopardize that.” 

You smiled as he ran a thumb over your cheek. 

“I wouldn’t either. But I need to know what we are before we take another step.” 

He was quiet for a moment, measuring his next words carefully. 

“I guess I’ve been so hesitant to label what we have because the term girlfriend doesn’t really do what you mean to me justice. Does that make sense?”

“Completely.” You exhaled a breath you didn’t know you’d been holding, relieved by his admission. “You’re so much more to me than a boyfriend. And I was scared that if we labelled us, we’d feel pressure to do something that we… I would regret. I know it’s not that big a deal to most people, but it is to me. Is it dumb that I care this much?” You sighed, feeling childish. 

“Not even a little bit,” he assured you, lifting your chin so he could look into your eyes. “It’s serious for me too. Talk to me though. I need to know what you’re thinking.” 

You gnawed your bottom lip as you tried to gather your thoughts. 

“Sweetness?” He coaxed softly after a few minutes. 

“I’m thinking. Not ignoring,” you explained. 

He nodded, content to give you all the time you needed. 

“Physical intimacy scares me. More than emotional intimacy. And I feel like that’s backwards.” 

“I don’t.” 

“You don’t?” You couldn’t hide your surprise.

“No. I don’t. I don’t think you can have one without the other.” You were about to argue, but he knew where you were going. “We aren’t talking about meaningless sex. We’re talking about a physical connection, an extension of the emotional intimacy. And I couldn’t have that with someone I didn’t trust completely.” 

“Neither could I.” 

“Y/n, I trust you. And I would love to show that to you physically. But we will not do anything you don’t want to,” he assured you. 

“I want you too. I want to share that with you.” Your fingers tangled in the hem of his shirt as you searched for something to ground you. 

He covered your hand with his, squeezing gently. 

“Does that scare you?” 

“No. I feel like it should scare me. But it doesn’t.” You leaned your forehead against his as you whispered, “I trust you, Steve, with every part of me. And I want to be close to you.” 

“I want to be close to you too. We’ll take things slow though, okay?” 

“Okay. Will you stop me if you don’t feel comfortable?” 

“I will. I promise.” 

You shared a quiet understanding smile as you both took each other in. 

“Can I kiss you now, sweetness?”

You nodded. 

“I need to hear it, sweetness.” 

“Kiss me, Steve.” 

You expected fireworks when the two of you finally kissed, but instead it was like sinking into a cloud. Like everything with Steve it was comfortable. You relaxed into the kiss as you threaded your hands into his hair, tugging him even closer. 


	12. Chapter 11.5

“Is it bad that I just really don’t want to stop kissing you?” you giggled as you pressed yet another kiss to the corner of Steve’s mouth. 

“I think that’s a very good thing. Personally,” he chuckled, sneaking another one. “But you know we have a very important decision to make.” 

“What toppings to get on our pizza?” you quipped. 

“While that is important, I was thinking more along the lines of what we were going to tell our friends.” 

You sobered. “How do you want to handle it?” 

“I don’t want to lie to them,” he sighed. 

“But you don’t necessarily want to make a proclamation,” you supplied. 

“Exactly. Do you agree?” 

“Completely. I was thinking,” you paused, unsure of how to phrase what you wanted to say. 

Steve reached for your hand, kissing your palm before cradling it to his chest. 

“Talk to me, sweetness.” 

“Maybe we just act however feels right. I mean. We don’t need to make a big deal out of it. Because ultimately I love you the same way today that I did a week ago. Well, maybe I love you more, but I don’t love you differently. Does that even make sense?” you laughed at yourself before burying your face in the pillow. 

“Sweetness, look at me,” he spoke softly. “Y/n, please.” 

You turned your head, unsurprised by the sincerity in his bright blue eyes. You had heard it in his voice. 

“You always make perfect sense to me. Especially about this. Every single day I look at you and I’m so thankful that you’re in my life. And I find something new to love about you. So yes, it makes sense. I love you. More than yesterday and less than I will tomorrow.” 

You couldn’t find the right words so you just hugged him, nuzzling your nose against his neck. 

“You know. I don’t think it’s going to take too long for people to figure us out.” 

“I think you may be right, sweetness.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was short so double update !


	13. Chapter 12

“So am I really the only one who figured it out so far?” Bucky asked as you played Mario Kart on Friday afternoon.

“Yep,” you mumbled as you blue shelled him and flew past him to win.

“You suck.”

“Don’t be a sore loser.”

He blew a raspberry at you in response.

“So what are you and Steve dressing up as for the party tonight?” he asked as you started another game.

“Wonder Woman and Superman. What are you going as?”

“I’m not going.” He tried to sound nonchalant but didn’t succeed. 

“What? Why not?” you asked, pausing the game.

“Well, Dot’s probably going to be there.”

“You could still come hang out with us. I mean Thor’s your friend, not hers so she may not go.”

“When have you ever known Dot to pass up free alcohol?”

Frowning you were forced to concede the point.

“Besides, I don’t even have a costume. I was supposed to do a couple’s thing with her.” 

“Well, if that’s the only thing keeping you from going tonight. Then I’ve got just the thing. Wait here.”

You were immediately up on your feet.

“Where are you going, doll?”

“I’ll be right back.”

* * *

When you returned Steve had gotten back from lab. You grinned and handed the box to Bucky and greeted Steve with a kiss.

“Hi, handsome.”

“Hey, sweetness,” he grinned down at you as you settled your arms around his waist.

“When did you get this, doll?” Bucky asked as he looked at the Batman costume.

“Steve wasn’t sure if he wanted to be Batman or Superman so I bought both a few weeks ago. Never got around to returning it,” you shrugged. “You don’t have to come with us, but if your only reason not to was that you didn’t have a costume. Problem solved.”

“Thank you, doll. I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I ask.”

You squeezed his shoulder and glanced at the time.

“I’m going to grab a shower before the bathroom gets overrun. I’ll see you later.”

“See you later, sweetness,” Steve gave you lingering kiss which had Bucky fake gagging.

“Shush.”

“Quiet’s not my style, doll.” He winked at you. “I’ll see you tonight.”

You rolled your eyes but grinned at the positive response.

“Good.”

* * *

You were pleasantly surprised by how well the costume fit, considering it only cost thirty bucks. You were just fixing the tiara when there was a knock on the door.

“One second,” you mumbled through a mouthful of bobby pins.

When the head piece was secure, you fastened on the bracers and smiled at your reflection before pulling open the door.

“Wow,” Steve stared at you slack-jawed for a moment.

“Hey, Superman,” you flirted. 

“Hey yourself. You look great, sweetness.”

He glanced at the other side of your room and you smirked, grabbing at the S on his chest and tugging him into the room.

“Nat’s already downstairs with Clint,” you explained kissing him firmly as the door swung shut behind him.

“Do we have to go?” Steve whined when you finally broke apart after your make out session. You’d somehow ended up on the bed in his lap. “I’d much rather stay here and keep doing that.” 

“Yes, we have to go. We promised since we skipped last week,” you reminded him as you climbed out of his lap and started fixing your hair. “Sam will say I stole you again if we don’t go.”

“Well, he’s. Never mind,” Steve trailed off, ears turning pink.

“What?”

“No. It’s nothing. I was going to make a dumb joke.”

He seemed to be getting redder by the second and now you had to know what he was thinking.

“Please, tell me,” you pleaded, pouting at him. You reached for his hand as you sat next to him. 

He only lasted two seconds before growling under his breath.

“You’re dangerous. You know that right?”

“I’m aware. But I also just want to know what you were gonna say.”

Sighing, he leaned back staring at the ceiling.

“I was going to say Sam was half right, because you had stolen my heart.” You were about to call him on his corny joke when his eyes snapped to yours and he continued speaking. “But you didn’t, because I gave it to you. Without hesitation.”

You gnawed on your bottom lip in an attempt not to cry, but it didn’t work and a few tears slipped out.

“I didn’t mean to upset you, sweetness.”

“You didn’t. That was adorable and sweet and everything a girl wants to hear. Jerk,” you grumbled.

He chuckled and reached out to wipe the tears away.

“You have my heart too, you know. Free and clear.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. Now stop making me cry, so I can redo my make up.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He snapped a salute. “But if you’re going to redo your make up anyways…”

He pulled you in for a searing kiss that took nearly all your lipstick off.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later you were finally ready to go. You knew your friends would be fuming, but you couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off your face. You grabbed your phone and purse, checking for your ID. You debated wearing a jacket but decided that for one night you’d let aesthetics win out, so you grabbed Steve’s hand and pulled him from the room.

“Good timing. Buck says he’s about to come up here and drag us out.”

“Did Bucky decide to go after all?” you asked as you locked your door.

“Yep, he’s downstairs with the others. And he loves the costume. But you know funny thing I don’t remember considering being Batman,” Steve commented once you were down the hall.

“Because you didn’t.”

“You ordered that after they broke up last week, didn’t you?”

“Yup. Gotta love free two day shipping,” you smirked. “You didn’t tell Bucky, did you?”

“Of course not.”

“I know we’re all going as a group. But I thought he might be more comfortable going with us as a trio.”

“It was a great idea, sweetness. And my lips are sealed.” He wrapped his arm around your shoulders and kissed the top of your head. “You’re the best.”

The group was chattering excitedly when you reached the lounge. There was a flurry of greetings and compliments when you and Steve entered.

“Superhero suits you, doll,” Bucky whispered as he sidled up beside you. 

“Thanks, Bucks-a-billion. It suits you too,” you grinned up at him. “Come here.” You pulled up the camera on your phone and took a quick selfie both of you beaming.

“Good idea, y/n. We need a couple of pictures!” Wanda insisted when she saw you and Bucky.

A couple pictures somehow turned into a full blown photo shoot, and you finally got out of the dorm thirty minutes later. How could you resist when you’d all picked staples from your childhood?

Nat and Clint were a spot on Kim and Ron. Sam and Riley were Buzz and Woody. Wanda and Pietro had decided to go as Raggedy Ann and Andy. And Tony, Rhodey, and Bruce were dressed as the red, blue, and green power rangers.

* * *

“HEY!” Thor boomed when he opened the door. “Come on in!”

You all piled into the house.

“Drinks are in the kitchen. Dance floor is through there.”

The group split up, Thor lingering by you, Steve, and Bucky.

“You look amazing as always, y/n.”

“Thank you,” you giggled.

“Let’s get you all drinks and get this party started. Right this way.”

Steve held your hand as you followed Thor towards the kitchen, and you in turn tugged Bucky with you by the elbow. He offered you a wry smile when he figured out you weren’t going to let him sulk for the entire night.

Thor handed you each a beer and chatted for a few minutes he was pulled away, but not before making all of you promise to play flip cup later on.

You were the first of the three to spot Dot sauntering around the party with Brock on her arm. You almost gagged at the sight of the both of them. Bucky was momentarily distracted, talking to Sam and Riley so you pulled Steve away to point her out.

“Damn it. I was really hoping that she wouldn’t show.”

“Me too. But also ew. Please tell me Bucky would not have worn that costume.”

“I can’t but mainly because I am not thinking about my best friend in an outfit like that.”

Steve visibly shuddered at the thought. Brock was parading around in what could only be described as spandex booty short orange overalls that were supposed to resemble a prison uniform and she was wearing a slutty cop costume.

“They deserve each other.”

“Definitely.”

“At least it doesn’t seem like she’s looking for him,” you noted.

“And the cowl covers his face. Maybe she won’t recognize him.”

“With that jawline?” you snarked.

Steve arched an eyebrow at you before chuckling and shaking his head when you shrugged, refusing to take back the comment.

“Well let’s hope she’s not in the mood to start shit then.”

“That we can do.”

You both sighed for a moment before Steve shook his head in a mental reset motion.

“Come on. We’re here to have fun. Buck will leave if he thinks we’re worried about him.”

“You’re right. Dance with me?” you grinned up at him.

“Happy to, sweetness.” 

He led you into the next room where people were dancing, happy for the opportunity to hold you close. You loved the way his hands felt on your hips as the two of you grinded to the music.

It didn’t take long for your friends to find you and start shooting the both of you meaningful looks. You ignored them and focused on the happiness coursing through you. Tonight was going to be a good night.


	14. Chapter 13

The dance floor grew crowded and when Steve excused himself to use the bathroom, you slipped out onto the deck. You weren’t surprised when the door opened a few seconds later. 

“You okay, doll?” 

“Yeah, just needed some air.” You told him honestly. 

“You having fun?” 

“Yeah. I am. Are you?” 

“I am. Thanks to you. And two day shipping,” Bucky smirked as he leaned on the railing next to you. 

“Steve said he wouldn’t tell,” you whined, already planning on giving Steve a piece of your mind. 

“He didn’t. Order slip was in the box.” 

“Dammit.” 

He chuckled. But when he spoke his voice was serious. 

“I appreciate it, doll. More than I can say.” 

You looked up at him, smiling softly. 

“You’re one of my best friends, Buck. I’d do anything for you.” 

“I know. And the feeling’s mutual.” 

He slung his arm over your shoulder noticing when you shivered. 

“Do you want to go back inside?” 

“Let’s just hang out for a minute. I like a good party as much as anyone, but it can be a bit overwhelming.” 

“Did you want me to leave you alone?” he asked, suddenly realizing that maybe you wanted to be alone and he was intruding. 

You wrapped your arm around his waist before he could get too far. 

“Nah. You don’t count as people,” you shrugged. 

“I’m taking that as a compliment.” 

“You should.” 

You both jumped when the door slammed open. 

“So is she the reason you haven’t been answering my texts?” 

“I told you to lose my number, Dot. And I meant it,” Bucky responded calmly, surprising you somewhat. “But since I didn’t think you would, I blocked you.” 

“We had a good thing going. I know you miss me.” 

“Actually, I don’t.” 

“You don’t have to pretend. It’s just you and me.” 

You made a face at her but didn’t comment. 

“Dot, we’re done. Leave me alone.” 

You felt a rush of pride as you watched Bucky handle himself. 

“You’re going to come crawling back to me once you get tired of her. I don’t expect it to take long. She’s not even half the woman I am. You’ll get bored. Like Steve did. He and Sharon are real cute dancing together in there,” she gestured over her shoulder. 

You rolled your eyes. You knew she’d say anything to hurt you. 

“You didn’t know they were together did you? You were so pathetic pining after him. Glad you finally got some. Even if it was with my man.” 

“That’s enough, Dot. Leave y/n out of it.” 

“So how’d it happen? You two healing each other’s broken hearts? Does it make you feel good to be the rebound girl? Huh? Does it feel good to know he’s thinking about me when he’s sleeping with you?” 

You scoffed at the remark. 

“Come on, doll. Let’s just go back inside.” 

“Oh so she’s your doll now?” 

“I’ve always called her that,” he reminded her in a bored tone. “I call most girls that.” 

“So I wasn’t special to you?” 

She was baiting him but Bucky wasn’t having it. 

“This is pointless. Let’s go.” 

You held onto his hand as you started to move past her. You purposely kept yourself between the two of them which visibly infuriated her. 

“You’ll be back. You’re nothing without me.”

That was the last straw. You spun back around to face her. 

“Alright, enough. You don’t get to say that to him. In fact you shouldn’t be saying anything to him.” 

“You know, Bucky really doesn’t like the girls he’s seeing to boss him around outside of the bedroom.” 

“Get it through your head. Bucky and I are friends. Nothing more, but sure as hell nothing less. Friends are people who care about you for something other than your body in case you were wondering. We’re not together. But if we were,” you continued loudly, stepping in front of Bucky so you were toe to toe with Dot. The blood was pounding so loudly in your ears that you didn’t hear the door open. “I wouldn’t be stupid enough to let him go, because Bucky is a great guy. He’s not some guy you string along for two months and then treat like shit. He is sweet and thoughtful and the best friend anyone could ask for. And I’m sure it would make you feel better if you could look at me and find all my faults and say he’ll come crawling back, but he won’t. Because Bucky didn’t drop you for me or some other girl. He dropped you because you weren’t what he wanted. Which is putting it nicely. Because the truth is you’re not even close to what he deserves. And Bucky is smart enough and confident enough to listen to his heart when he knows something is wrong. Something I’m guessing you haven’t learned yet because Brock was fucking another girl earlier. Despite your cute couple costume,” you added smugly. 

“You little bitch,” she snarled before launching at you with a feral scream. 

Thor caught her by the back of her shirt before she got near you. 

“Alright. Time for you to go,” Thor growled. 

“You can’t kick me out.” 

“It’s my house.” 

Thor marched her away, while you stood there stunned. Steve hurried to your side, cupping your cheek to get your attention. 

“You okay?” 

“I’m fine. She didn’t even touch me.” 

You covered his hand with your own, smiling reassuringly.

“Sorry I wasn’t here sooner. Sharon is really drunk and like threw herself at me. I had to get Maria to take her home,” he huffed. 

You nodded, trying to repress an eye roll. 

“You okay, Buck?” 

He blew out a rough breath staring up at the sky, but he smiled nonetheless. 

“Actually yeah. I’m way more over her than I thought. I didn’t want anything to do with her.” 

“Good for you, man.” 

Steve reached out and clapped him on the shoulder and his eyes traveled downwards, landing on you. 

“That was a hell of a speech, doll.” 

“Sorry. I know you had it handled. But she just made me so mad. I wanted to stand up for you. I’m sorry if I overstepped.” 

“You didn’t, y/n. Come here.” 

Bucky opened his arms and you wrapped your arms around his waist, under his cape while his settled around your shoulder. 

“You deserve better, Buck. So much better.” 

“I know that, doll. Thank you.”

“I love you, Buck.” 

“I love you too.” 

You held onto him for a moment longer before reaching out for Steve finding comfort in both of them. 

The three of you stayed outside for another few minutes, trying to process the encounter. But the moment you stepped back through the door Thor harangued you into the flip cup tournament you’d promised to participate in. 

“Okay, let’s get started. Carol and Steve are captains. Rock, paper, scissors to see who picks first,” Thor ordered. 

Carol won best two out of three and got to pick first. 

“Brunhilde,” she spoke a moment after she smashed Steve’s scissors for the second time. 

“Bucky,” he announced confidently. 

You shot him a playful glare for not picking you first, but you knew you’d be next on his list. 

“Y/n,” Carol called. 

Your eyes widened slightly but she winked and gestured for you to join her. 

Steve looked scandalized as Thor joined him with a shrug. 

“Really wasn’t expecting to be picked last at my own party,” he laughed loudly, clearly amused. 

“You know I only pick winners,” Carol smirked. 

“You might have made a mistake,” you mumbled. 

“I doubt that. Have a little faith. You’ll go first and then if we have to Brunhilde and I will catch up.” 

“Don’t worry, I’m a pro,” Brunhilde assured you, slinging an arm around your shoulder. “Let’s show these boys how it’s done.” 

Their confidence was infectious and you soon were nodding excitedly. 

“Let’s do this.” 

Your confidence was not enough to win the first round.

You’d struggled on your first cup and lost time. Brunhilde didn’t even get to start her second cup before Thor flipped their last one neatly onto the table.

“Damn. Sorry, ladies.” 

“It’s cool, y/n. No worries,” Brunhilde smiled at you and chugged the cup anyways. 

The boys were still celebrating their win. You glared as Steve did a victory dance on the other side of the table. It annoyed you more that you found his sudden bro behavior oddly attractive. 

“It’s not over yet,” Carol promised. 

“Not by a long shot,” you agreed. 

You mimicked Steve’s victory dance when Carol’s cup landed on the table flat while Bucky knocked back his drink. Steve quirked an eyebrow and his tongue poked at his cheek in annoyance, making you giggle. 

“You can give up now you know,” you teased. 

“You wish, sweetness,” he cooed with a wink. 

Ultimately it came down to you and Steve. You were behind, but he failed once and you caught up and then you both failed. Finally, your cup landed upside down while his landed, teetered, and then fell to the floor. 

You cheered high-fiving your teammates. 

“I see you haven’t forgotten everything I taught you.” 

You whirled at the familiar but nearly forgotten voice. 

“OH MY GOD, SKYE!” You squealed rushing over to hug her. 

“OoF,” she chuckled as you slammed into her. “It’s good to see you, y/n.” 

“It’s good to see you too! What are you doing here? Wait do you go here? How have I never seen you?” 

“Yes,” she chuckled at the rate the words spilled out of your mouth. “I go here. I’m friends with Sif,” she pointed out the girl you always saw hanging out with Thor. She was a javelin thrower on the track team you thought. “As for not seeing me, I do spend most of my days in the computer lab.”

“This is so exciting. Oh my god,” you were still clinging to each other.

You noticed Steve and Bucky looking your way. You didn’t miss the way Bucky’s gaze was fixed on Skye. 

“There’s some people I want you to meet.”

She followed your gaze to the two superheroes and smirked. 

“Are all your friends so attractive?” 

“Honestly, kinda,” you giggled as you thought about it. “But those two are the best there are.” 

“You don’t say. I’m assuming the blonde one who’s been watching you with puppy dog eyes is your boyfriend.” 

“Yes, but we haven’t told our friends. We’re seeing how long it takes them to figure it out,” you whispered. 

“Got it. My lips are sealed. I can’t wait to meet him. Lead the way.” 

You let go of her, but looped your arm through hers. When they saw you heading over they met you halfway. 

“Hey, boys.” 

“Hi, sweetness,” Steve greeted you, reaching for your hand reflexively. “Is this the Skye from your stories?” 

“You kind of screamed her name across the room, doll,” Bucky spoke when you looked confused how he’d known her name. 

“Oh, right. Yes, the very same. Skye, this is Steve and his best friend Bucky.” 

“Nice to meet you both,” she smiled and shook hands. 

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Bucky assured her, ducking his head slightly and offering his most charming smile. 

You and Steve shared a brief look, smirking at the sight. This was going to be interesting. 


	15. Chapter 14

p>The four of you had stayed at  
Thor’s party for another hour before calling it a night.

“I’m starving,” Bucky announced as you hit the sidewalk. 

“There’s a great twenty-four hour diner a couple blocks from here,” Skye piped up. 

“Let’s go, then.” 

Bucky offered his arm to Skye, who eagerly linked hers through. 

“Shall we?” 

“Let’s go.” 

Steve wrapped an arm your shoulder as you followed behind them. 

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Steve whispered. 

“The sparks?” you murmured back. 

“Mhmm.”

“Oh yeah. Big time. I think I’m very much a fan of this.” 

A few feet ahead of you, Bucky barked out a laugh at whatever Skye said. 

“Yup. Definitely a fan.” 

“Well, let’s see where it goes.”

The diner was quiet when you arrived, just a few other students in costumes, clearly sating their needs for greasiness before heading back to the dorms. The waitress perked up when she saw you.

“Skye, baby girl, how are you?” 

“I’m good, Billie, how are you?” 

“Half asleep from the quiet but, otherwise I’m sitting pretty. You and your friends can grab any booth you want. I’m going to go wake up Carl, but I’ll be right back.” 

“Thank you!” 

The older woman handed you a stack of menus before she bustled back towards the kitchen while the four of you piled into a corner booth, Bucky and Steve flanking on either side. 

“So what’s good here?” Steve asked, wrapping an arm around you and holding one menu for the both of you to look at as you cuddled into his side, pulling the cape of his costume around you for warmth. 

“Pretty much everything. Just make sure you save room for pie.” 

“I always have room for pie,” Bucky assured her. “Are you a cherry or apple pie kind of girl?” 

“Lemon meringue. I like a little sharp with my sweet,” she flirted back. 

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Steve raised the menu, hiding the pair of you from you Bucky and Skye as you shared another conspiratorial smirk before leaning in for a peck. 

“Oi, knock it off, lovebirds.” 

Giggling, and stealing one last kiss, Steve set the menu down. 

“Sorry.” 

“No, we’re not,” you assured them. 

“Good girl. How long have you guys been like this?’ Skye asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

“Well we’ve officially been together for about a week.” 

“But we’ve been like this…” 

“Literally since they met,” Bucky interjected. “There’s a betting pool on when they’ll realize they’ve been dating since September. It’s up to two hundred bucks.” 

“But you haven’t told anyone?”

“No, but we’re also not hiding it.”

“We want to see how long it will take them to realize that we’ve gotten together.” 

“How long did it take you?” Skye asked Bucky, resting her chin on her hand as she eyed him. 

“Four seconds.” 

“Come on, really?” 

“It’s true. He took one look at us and knew. But that’s also not fair because you already pretty much knew I was going to tell him that night. And so if we were together it was pretty obvious how it went?” 

“True. But you could have stalled another night if you really wanted to. It was really the obvious lack of yearning.” 

“We didn’t yearn,” Steve scoffed. 

“They did. Count yourself lucky you missed it.” 

“Oh I am. I’ve seen her yearn,” Skye agreed. 

Steve pulled away ever so slightly with a mock gasp. 

“You yearned over someone before me? I’m wounded.” 

“Shut up,” you laughed, rolling your eyes but snuggling back into his side nonetheless. 

“I’ll give you details later,” Skye mouthed. 

“Skye!” 

“I’m kidding. I would never tell your boyfriend about your junior high school crushes.” 

“But you’d tell me right?” Bucky asked. 

“We’ll see.” 

Bucky grinned at you. 

“Don’t be so smug, Bucks-a-billion. Becca always loves to tell me stories about your childhood. I’m sure she knows all about both of your past romantic endeavors.” 

“You wouldn’t.” 

“Who says I haven’t already,” you smiled sweetly at him. 

Bucky glared for a moment before it melted into a grin. 

“Well played, doll.” 

“So how did you two meet?” 

“My roommate sexiled me the night before my first chem exam, so I when I got back from the library I went to crash in the common room, and someone was snoring on the couch. Loudly.” 

“I wasn’t snoring,” Steve scoffed. 

“I heard it down the hall. Anyways, turns out he’s in that class too. So we stayed up all night studyin, and then he let me nap in his bed.” 

“And I spent the whole day trying to come up with a reason to go talk to her, and hoping to run into her after class, and she was in my room when I got back. Been pretty much inseparable ever since.” 

You beamed up at him before pecking him on the lips. 

“You guys are cute,” Skye cooed, before sobering. “Let me be clear though, Steven. You hurt her. I will destroy you.” 

“Skye!” you whined. 

“It’s fine, sweetness,” Steve murmured pressing a kiss to your temple. “Fair deal, Skye. Though, to be fair, I’d probably already be dead.” 

“I think you could take, Nat.” 

“Doubtful. But I wasn’t talking about her.” 

You tilted your head questioningly, and he glanced at his best friend who was grinning at you from across the table. 

“Really?” 

“I’ve grown pretty fond of ya, doll.” 

“Aww, I love you, Buck.” 

“I love you too.” 

“It’s still early,” Skye announced when you finally left diner, completely stuffed. 

“It’s three in the morning,” you giggled – or tried to giggle before it turned into a yawn. 

“The showing of The Grudge starts in twenty minutes. Anybody want to go?” Bucky suggested. 

“I’m game,” Skye agreed. 

“Awesome.” 

They both turned to you and Steve with an expectant look. 

“Pass.” 

“Hard pass,” you agreed. 

“Do you still not like scary movies?” 

“Did you really think that would change?” 

“I suppose not.” 

“You two go have fun. It’s way past my bedtime.” 

“Alright. Well, it was so good to see you.” 

Skye pulled you into a tight hug. 

“I missed you so much. We have to hang out more,” 

“We will. I promise.” 

You pulled her in for one more hug while whispering in her ear. 

“I’ll take your word for it.” 

You hugged Bucky and kissed him on the cheek before the four of you split up. 

“Do you want to walk back or tack the shuttle?” Steve asked. 

Pulling in a deep breath and tilting your head towards the sky, you smiled. 

“Let’s walk.” 

Steve reached for your hand ad you started the twenty minute walk, enjoying the comfortable quiet that fell between you. 

“Nat’s staying with Clint tonight. Do you want to come back to mine?” 

“Sounds good.” 

The dorm was still buzzing when you got back, waking you up slightly. 

“I’m still a little keyed up. Do you want to watch a movie or something?” you asked as you locked the door. 

“Or something.” 

You quirked an eyebrow at him as he took a step closer, dragging his fingers up your arm and then across your cheek. 

“Have I told you how unbelievably sexy you are?” 

His had worked its way to the nape of your neck as he started pressing soft but insistent kisses up the column of your throat. 

“What’s gotten into you?” you giggled nervously. 

Pulling away, he offered you an innocent look that you knew was anything but. 

“I can’t tell my girlfriend she’s sexy? The sexiest girl at the party.” 

“I guess the costume really does it for you, hmm. I’ll have to remember that.” 

He shook his head, nose brushing against your cheek. 

“You taking on Dot and defending Bucky. That was so hot. And sweet,” he added. “But I definitely don’t mind the outfit.” 

You rolled your eyes but he kissed you before you could scoff. 


	16. Chapter 15

“Happy birthday, Sammy!” you announced as you strolled into his and Riley’s room early on Saturday morning to meet the others. 

“Ooh muffins!” Pietro made a grab for the boxes in your hands. 

“Uh uh. Paws off, Speedy. Sam gets first pick,” you informed the Sokovian track star as you brushed past him to put the muffins on the desk. “I think your favorite is in the top box,” you informed Sam. 

“Thanks, sugar. You shouldn’t have.” 

“I wanted to.” 

You shrugged and he pulled you into a bear hug. You greeted Riley, Wanda, and Pietro with hugs as well. 

“Now can I have a muffin?” Pietro pouted as Sam ripped the edge of gingerbread muffin. 

“Here. Pass them around.” 

“Where’s Natasha?” Wanda asked quietly as you climbed onto the bed next to her. 

“She stayed at Clint’s last night, they hadn’t come back before I left.” 

“Have you guys even stayed in the same room since you met Steve?” Riley laughed. 

“Yes? I mean at least a few times. Huh. Now I feel bad.” 

“Feel bad about what?” Natasha asked as she and Clint walked in, immediately greeting Sam with hugs and a bag of goodies. 

“Never staying in the room at night when you’re there.” 

Natasha waved you off. “Don’t feel bad. I’m at Clint’s place as much as you’re at Steve’s. But maybe we should do a girl’s night.” 

“That would be fun.” 

“You in Wanda?” 

“Absolutely. We should invite Skye too.” 

“Good plan. We should get to know Barnes’ girl,” Natasha agreed. 

“So, Sam, where are we going?”

“There’s a great laser tag place about half an hour from here.” 

“Aww yeah.” 

The group chattered excitedly as you waited on Steve, Bucky, and Skye. You’d all been surprised to learn that Sam and Skye knew each other from their comp sci class and were quite friendly already, but it made for an easy transition into your friend group. 

When they finally arrived you all caught the T out of the city. 

“So the way the game works is that you have five lives. It takes three shots to drain your life,” Stan, the man who ran the laser tag arena explained. “Once it’s drained you have to pass through one of the arch at the center to reload. You’ll have ten seconds after reloading to get some cover. You also only have thirty shots. To reload you have to cross any one of the corners of the arena. Any questions?” 

You all shook your heads. 

“Good. Are you doing teams or a free for all?” He asked as you all buckled into your gear. 

“We’re doing teams of two,” Sam informed him. 

“Great. So once you’re all set up, I’ll have you put your names in on that screen over there.” 

“Will do.” 

You had five minutes to get the lay of the land and make a plan of attack, so you and Skye quickly scouted the area and holed up in a corner. 

“Alright, so who’s our biggest competition?” 

“Nat and Clint are probably going to dominate. She slinks in the shadows like it’s her job and he’s one of the archery team’s stars.” 

“So we need to take them out first.” 

“Definitely.” 

“Okay, and after?” 

“I don’t know. The others all have their skills so, it’s probably a toss up.” 

“Alright so Nat and Clint and then everyone else along the way. Easy.” 

Skye smirked as the lights flashed three times signaling that game play would start in one minute. 

“So I say for this round we stick together and watch each other’s backs.” 

“Agreed. Once we have a better feel for the competition, we can adjust.” 

“Exactly.” 

The overhead lights went out and the neon lights of the arena came up.

“Let’s go to work.” 

You were right to assume Natasha and Clint were your biggest problem. They handily won the first round. 

Before the second round, an alliance was formed between you, Skye, Wanda, and Pietro. Unbeknownst to you the guys had made an alliance as well, which took Nat and Clint out of the game early, leaving four teams, and considerably longer playing time. 

You just reset after getting tagged for the second time when you noticed movement in the corner. A flash of red against olive revealed that Sam and Wanda were making out. You took the opportunity to tag both of them. Neither of them noticed the vibrations of the vest or the fact that Sam’s name was crossed off the board. 

Yeah, you were never going to let them live this down. 

Bucky had eliminated Pietro, as you took out Riley after he tagged Skye, forcing both of them to retreat to the reset point. You managed to hit Steve twice from the shadows, before Riley returned the favor and got you out. Wanda managed to pull out the win, high-fiving her brother when she exited the arena victorious. 

“That was certainly a good round for you,” you whispered as you caught up to Wanda, giving her a knowing look. 

“Yeah,” she squeaked, knowing she’d been caught. 

“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” 

“Thank you,” she mouthed. 

The hour you had booked passed quickly and before you knew it, it was the last round, and you had had an idea that you couldn’t get out of your head all afternoon. 

You kept to the shadows as you searched for your target, avoiding enemy fire as much as you could. But you still managed to lose a life before you could carry out your plan. Sighing as you reset, you glanced up at the scoreboard. Surprisingly, everyone was still in play – making your game considerably harder. 

You were slinking around the outskirts of the arena when a hand wrapped around your wrist tugging you into a corner. 

“Looking for someone, sweetness?” 

Steve grinned down at you, perfect teeth glowing in the neon lights. 

“Maybe,” you drawled. 

“Did you find him?” 

“Yep.” 

You wasted no time, threading one hand into his hair and pulling him down for a kiss. Steve expertly slipped his tongue into your mouth as he pulled you closer. You nibbled on his lower lip, thoroughly enjoying the growl he let out as he spun you so your back was flat against the wall. You lost yourself in the kiss until his vest vibrated violently between you as he was eliminated. 

You pulled back so you could look over his shoulder to flash a thumb’s up at Skye who was smirking. 

“Good plan, y/n. See ya,” she whisper yelled before bolting out of sight. 

Steve glared down at you, one hand landing on the wall beside your head as the other continued to trail up your side. 

“So that’s how it is, huh? I’m wounded, sweetheart.” 

“What did you expect, handsome. You’re the competition and I’ve been dying to make out with you all day. Two birds, one stone.” 

“Does that mean you’re going to stay here and make out with me a little more?” he tried hopefully. 

“Not a chance. Now I’ve got to see if Bucky falls for the same plan.” 

You winked and kissed him once more before ducking under his arm. With a pat to his butt, you disappeared into the darkness, his soft chuckle following you. 


	17. Chapter 16

After an exam, turning in your final writing assignment, and completing your last two labs of the semester you were practically skipping back to your room. Most of the doors on the floor were open as people packed to go home for Thanksgiving. You could hear the laughter coming from your room from the elevator.

“I can’t believe you started the party without me,” you announced before you walked in.

“We didn’t start anything,” Skye called back. 

Wanda and Skye were on your bed, and Nat was standing on hers trying to string up the last of what looked like eight strings of fairy lights. 

Wanda started to get up, but you waved her off, stowing your bag under your desk. 

“Nat, what are you doing?” 

“The lighting in this room sucks. And you said you liked the little strand that I had on my wall. So when I found these for cheap I figured why not.” 

“And eight strings doesn’t seem like overkill?” you teased. 

“Oh be quiet. Hurry up and change. Sweatpants are mandatory.” 

“Okay, okay.” 

You quickly went to the bathroom to change into your favorite sweatpants and Steve’s hoodie. When you came back Natasha had gotten the last strand up and the room was illuminated only by fairy lights. It was very calming, almost magical. 

“Whoa.” 

“You like?” Nat asked with a hopeful grin. 

“I love.” 

“Good,” Nat smiled as she sat on her desk. “Because I wasn’t taking them down. This took five hours.” 

“Oh my god, Nat.” 

You giggled and rolled your eyes as you crawled onto her bed. 

“Worth it.” 

“It’s perfect,” you agreed.

A few hours later there were half eaten pizza boxes piled on your desk and you were laying with your head hanging off the edge of Nat’s bed with your legs against the wall. 

“What do you think the guys are doing right now?” Skye asked the room.

“Drinking whatever beer Tony smuggled in and playing video games,” Nat snorted. 

“Somebody pass the Oreos,” Wanda called from her spot on the floor. 

“Here you go,” Skye dangled the pack in front of her face. “Who’s got the Twizzlers?” 

“Catch.” 

Nat tossed the pack across the room and Skye caught it easily. 

“Thank you.” 

“So, how’s it going with Barnes?” 

Skye’s smile turned soft as she dragged her knees up to her chest. 

“It’s good. He’s such a good guy. It’s a nice change of pace from my ex,” Skye’s tone dropped and you stifled a growl. 

She had told you all about Ward and all you could say was that he was lucky he didn’t live in the state because you would have gone and kicked his ass. 

“You guys are really cute together,” Wanda cooed. “He never smiled this much when he was with Dot.” 

Skye blushed slightly, clearly pleased. 

“That’s because Dot was sucking his soul out of him,” Natasha grumbled. 

“He makes me really happy. And he’s easy on the eyes.” 

“Can’t argue with that.” 

“Are you guys going to make it official soon?” Wanda asked softly. 

“I think so. I mean, it’s still early, but it looks like it’s going that way.” 

“See, y/n, that’s how it works. You like someone. You go out on dates and then start a relationship.” 

You rolled your eyes nudging her shoulder with your knee. 

“Oh really? I had no idea. Thanks for clearing that up,” you sassed, earning you a flick on the ear. 

“Ow.” 

“Come on,” she practically whined. “You and Steve have been basically dating for months. You spend literally all of your time together. You’re even going home with him for Thanksgiving. When are you going to tell him how you feel?” 

“Who says that I haven’t?” you asked coyly. 

“Have you?” Wanda asked with knowing eyes. You had to wonder if she somehow knew. She was talented like that. 

You considered fessing up. 

“There’s no way,” Nat interjected before you could speak. “If she’d told Steve, they’d be together and insufferable.” 

You shrugged. Skye was doing an admirable job of suppressing a laugh. 

“I’m happy with where Steve and I stand. Isn’t that enough?” 

Sweetheart that she is, Wanda smiled and nodded. 

“As long as you’re happy. We just don’t want you to miss out on a good thing.” 

“I appreciate that, Wanda.”

“But speaking of meeting parents,” Skye started, saving you. “Wanda. I heard a rumor that you’re meeting Sam’s parents this weekend.” 

Wanda’s cheeks turned as red as her signature leather jacket. She and Sam had gone public a couple of days after his birthday and you’d been relieved you didn’t have to keep that secret for long. 

“Yes. They’re coming up on Wednesday. They’ve invited me and Pietro to join them for dinner.” 

“That’s going to be really nice.” 

“I’m really nervous.” 

“Don’t be,” you soothed. “They’re really nice. And they’re going to love you.” 

“I hope so,” she sighed. 

  


The four of you stayed up talking until nearly five in the morning, so you didn’t wake up to meet Steve until after noontime. You watched him from the doorway to the study lounge, admiring his focus. When he noticed your presence, he lit up with a wide smile. 

“Hey, sweetness.” 

“Hey. Sorry I’m late.” You pushed off the wall and took his outstretched hand as he pulled you between his legs. “How was guy’s night?” 

“It was fun. We played Call of Duty, and Tony managed to sneak in a couple six packs.” 

You chuckled at Nat’s accurate prediction. 

“What?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

“Nothing.” 

“I missed sleeping next to you last night,” Steve admitted as you carded your fingers through his hair. 

“I did too.” 

“Did you have fun with the girls though?” 

You nodded happily. 

“It was a lot of fun. It was nice to have all of us together for once and just be able to talk. And being done with all the assignments was nice too.” 

“Mmm. What did you all talk about?” 

You smirked and shook your head. “That is privileged information. Girl’s night code.” 

“Oh. Right. Very official.” 

“It’s a binding contract. I’m sure you guys have the same.” 

“Oh yeah. Of course. I can tell you that the guys did are really rooting for me to ask you out. For the most part.” 

“For the most part?” 

“Mhmm. Tony thinks you can do better.” 

You chuckled, “I mean…”

Steve narrowed his eyes.

“I’m kidding.” You leaned down to kiss him tenderly. “You are everything I have ever dreamed of.” 

He pulled you into his lap, touching your foreheads together.

“You are better than anything I could have dreamed of.” 

“Did you tell them?” you asked after a quiet tender moment. 

“I thought about it. I probably would have if they’d let me get a word in edgewise,” he rolled his eyes. “At this point I think they just like to hear themselves talk.” 

“Wanda actually asked outright if I’d told you how I felt,” you admitted. 

“Did you tell her the truth?” 

“Didn’t get the chance. Nat said there was no chance. She’d think we’d be insufferable if we were together.” 

“Is that right?” 

“Mhmm.” 

“They’re going to be so pissed when they find out,” he chuckled. 

“I’m looking forward to it,” you grinned kissing him once before extracting yourself and unpacking your books. 

You were taking a break between your Chem and Bio lab reports when Steve spoke up. 

“Oh, I didn’t get to tell you. Erskine does remember me.” 

“Really? How do you know?” 

“I went to his office hours yesterday to ask about the atomic orbital stuff, and I was the only one there. So after he helped me, I decided to thank him whether he remembered me or not. He did.” 

You smiled smugly.

“Told ya.” 

“Yeah. Yeah. You were right. Anyways, he said he recognized me right away and he was glad to see me doing so well. He also invited me to see his lab after we get back from break.” 

“That’s so cool. I’m so excited for you.” 

“Thanks, sweetness.” 

“Do you feel better knowing he remembers you?” 

He hummed, shaking his head slightly. 

“You know me well. Yeah. I do. He had such a big impact on my life. It’s nice to know that he cares as much about his patients as I hope to someday.” 

You rested your chin on your hand listening intently as he launched into a rant about the need for compassion in medicine. After about ten minutes he seemed to realize he’d been ranting. 

“Sorry, I.”

“You’re going to be such a good doctor.” You surged forward, cutting off his apology with a kiss. “Do not apologize. You are so hot when you talk about the things you’re passionate about.” 

“Oh yeah?” he asked with a smirk, waggling his eyebrows. “You must love when I talk about you.” 

“You certainly won’t catch me complaining,” you agreed. 


	18. Chapter 17

“Oh my god, you’re here!” Becca squealed when she opened the door and flung herself at you.

“Yes, I’m here,” you laughed, holding her tightly. “How are you?”

“I’m great. Oh I’m so excited you’re here.”

“Oh how are you, Bucky? I’m good thanks for asking,” Bucky grumbled.

“Oh shush,” Becca admonished as she hugged him and Steve. “I’m getting to you two. I just didn’t know that y/n was coming.”

“Well we weren’t sure until a couple of days ago because we were having trouble getting my train ticket, so we wanted to hold off on saying anything.”

“Well I’m so glad you made it.”

Becca squeezed your hand as she led you into the living room, taking your coat.

“Me too,” you assured her as you followed behind.

“Hey, Becs, where’s Ma and Pop?” Bucky asked as he poked his head into the kitchen.

“They had lunch with the Quill’s. They should be home soon.”

“Alright. Lunch run then?” Bucky suggested.

“Hell yes. I’m starving,” Steve agreed patting his stomach. “Where do you want to go?”

“Why don’t you and Steve go pick something up? And y/n and I will stay here and catch up,” Becca countered, vibrating with excitement.

“Can you wait that long, sweetness?” Steve asked, knowing you get woozy when you’re hungry.

“Yeah. I’m good to wait.”

“Alright. Sandwiches from Glenn’s?” Bucky suggested.

“Ooh good call. Do you want to look at the menu, y/n?”

“I trust you to get me something I like.”

Steve nodded. “Do you want your usual, Becs?”

“Yes please.”

“Alright let’s got then.”

Steve gave you a short but sweet kiss before they headed out and you heard Becca gasp. Bucky cackled at her reaction.

“Have fun with that, doll. Come on, lover boy.”

He yanked Steve out of the house by the collar, leaving you with a very excited Rebecca Barnes.

“YOU AND STEVE ARE TOGETHER NOW?!”

“Ummmm, yes.”

She gaped at you.

“When? How? I need details.”

She dragged you to the couch and then ran to the kitchen for snacks. Once she was settled she stared you down.

“Okay, spill.”

You recounted the night you and Steve finally decided to start officially dating.

“So Bucky is the only one who knows? And he didn’t blab?” 

“Nope. He’s kept our secret. And yes, he’s the only one who knows. Well, him and Skye.”

“Who’s Skye?”

You were about to say “Bucky’s girlfriend,” when you realized he clearly hadn’t said anything yet.

“She and I were best friends in middle school and the beginning of high school until I moved away. We reconnected at a party a few weeks ago.”

Becca didn’t seem to notice your hesitation.

“Oh that’s nice. I can’t believe no one figured it out. Do mom and Sarah know?’

You paused again. Now that you thought about it, you had no idea if Steve had told his mom.

“I don’t know actually. Probably yes. He talks to her about most things. I guess I’ll find out.”

“Well if she doesn’t already. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled. I definitely am. I knew you’d be the best couple ever.”

“Thank you, Becca.”

“I hope I can have that with Peter,” she mumbled unthinkingly.

“Who’s Peter?” 

She tucked her hair behind her ear before scratching nervously at the back of her neck – a nervous tick she shared with Bucky.

“Oh. Umm. Just a friend from Queens.”

“Friend, huh?”

You shot her a disbelieving look, despite her eager nods.

“Nice try. Spill it.”

She hung her head in defeat.

“Okay.”

She launched into her own romantic tale. Explaining how she’d met a boy, Peter Parker at a Science Triathalon and they’d started talking. And she thought he might like her, but she wasn’t sure. You were just ironing out the details of a plan for her to ask him out for coffee by the time Bucky and Steve got back. You quickly stopped talking when they walked in.

“What are you two up to?” Bucky asked suspiciously.

“Nothing!” you both answered quickly.

“Yeah right.”

He glanced at Steve who just shrugged, already munching on fries.

“Whatever,” he chuckled. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

George and Winnie returned while you were finishing up eating and the afternoon was spent happily catching up. After dinner, you and Steve got ready to head back to his apartment.

“Thank you for dinner, Winnie. It was delicious.”

“Our pleasure. Do you have everything? Where are your bags?” she fussed. 

“We dropped them off at home before we came here. I wanted to see Ma before she went to work.”

“Oh good. Okay. Oh that reminds me. I wrapped up some leftovers for you to take home for her. Just one second.”

She hurried to the kitchen and came back with a Tupperware container which you took from her. 

“Thank you, Winnie.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. We’ll see you tomorrow at two.”

“We’ll be here with bells on.”

“Good night and get home safe.”

“We will,” Steve promised.

“Good night!” You called with a small wave.

Steve guided you down the steps before taking your hand as you walked the three blocks back to his apartment. 

“Steve. Thank you for this.” 

“For what?”

“Bringing me here.”

“I couldn’t let my best girl spend Thanksgiving alone. Besides an extra five days with you without stressing about classes? I can’t think of anything better.”

You smiled up at him, as he unlocked the door.

“That does sound ideal.”

* * *

You and Steve made breakfast before settling on the couch to watch the parade. Sarah woke up shortly after eleven.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Ma. Coffee?” Steve asked as he kissed her on the cheek and went into the kitchen.

“Yes, please.” She smiled warmly as she sat next to you. “How did you sleep, dear?”

“Very well.”

Steve strolled in with a mug of coffee and the cinnamon rolls you made.

“Here you go, Ma.”

“Did you two bake this morning? You didn’t have to.” 

“My mom and I always made cinnamon rolls on Thanksgiving morning. I thought you might like it,” you shrugged.

“It’s a wonderful surprise.”

“How was your shift?”

She sighed heavily and took a sip of coffee as Steve sat next to you, arm curling around your waist.

“Let’s just say I’m glad to have the weekend off. It’s always crazy around the holidays.”

“Lots of accidents?”

“Tons. These are delicious. You two are so sweet to make these for me. Thank you.” 

* * *

“Wow, you look amazing,” Steve breathed out when you came down to go to lunch at the Barnes a couple hours later. 

“Thanks, but now I think I’m overdressed,” you admitted, eyeing his jeans and polo.

“Well, Thanksgiving’s been pretty casual since the mud pie incident when Becca was four.”

You giggled, “Well, I definitely need to hear that story. But, your mom said to dress up.”

Steve’s brows furrowed.

“Are you kids ready to go?” Sarah asked as she came in from the kitchen, looking through her purse for her keys. “Oh wow, you look lovely, sweetie. So fancy.”

“Thank you,” you mumbled, cheeks flaming in embarrassment. 

“Ma, did you tell Y/n to dress up?”

“No?” She asked tilting her head at you both.

“You texted me and told me to bring a nice dress.”

Sarah’s eyes widened in realization. 

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I did, but that was because I have a surprise for you later in the weekend. I should have been clearer. I just assumed Steve would tell you lunch was casual.”

“Surprise?” You and Steve both asked.

“Yes.”

“What is it?” you asked, unable to contain your excitement.

“Why don’t you change into something more comfortable? And then I’ll tell you.”

“Okay, just give me a few minutes.”

“Take your time.”

You hurried back to Steve’s room, grateful you’d also packed your favorite sweater dress.

“Better?” she asked when you hurried down the stairs five minutes later.

“More comfortable for sure. So…”

“So,” she smiled and gestured to the couch. “Come on. Have a seat.”

Steve was now wearing a bright grin, and mischief lightened both of their gazes, and you smiled as you recognized the similarity. Clearly Sarah had told him the surprise. He perched on the arm of the couch next to as you sat right at the edge of your seat.

“Here,” she handed you an envelope with your name in her elegant handwriting.

You carefully undid the flap and dumped the contents into your palm.

“Oh my god!” you gasped when you read the ticket. “Really? The American Ballet Company’s opening night of the Nutcracker?!”

“I knew that I had to take you to some sort of show, and since you love ballet as much as I do. I thought you would enjoy it. We can save Broadway for the next time.”

“This is amazing. Thank you so much, Sarah.”

You hugged her as tightly as you could and she softly stroked your hair.

“You’re so welcome.”

You looked up in time to see Steve was watching you both with a soft expression.


	19. Chapter 18

Thanksgiving with the Barnes-Rogers clan was a beautifully boisterous event. The dining room table was already laden with food when you arrived. Dinner was full of easy conversation and embarrassing stories about the boys from Becca and Winnie. Bucky and Steve disputed every word, but you knew who was telling the truth. Your pats to their heads as you were helping to clear the dishes told them as much. 

Once you were all full you piled onto the sectional to watch The Santa Clause. Cuddled up under the blankets with everyone, you had never felt so at home. You searched out Steve’s hand under the blanket and twined your fingers together. He squeezed your hand in return, shooting you a bright smile before you dropped your head to his shoulder. 

It was still early when you got back to the apartment, hearts and stomachs full. 

“You know all those stories Winnie was telling got me thinking that we should pull out the albums,” Sarah suggested as you shrugged out of your coats. 

Steve took both of yours to hang up. 

“I would love that!” you agreed excitedly. 

“Great. I’ll go grab them from my room.” 

“This is going to be so much fun. I can’t wait to see you when you were little,” you grinned up at him, until you noticed his pinched expression “Steve, what’s wrong?” 

“Nothing.” His fake smile did nothing to alleviate your fresh concern. “I’ll go put the kettle on.” 

He kissed the top of your head and hurried into the kitchen without another word, leaving you stunned. You’d never known Steve to act like this. You were about to follow him when Sarah called for you. You helped her carry down fifteen albums and spread them out on the hardwood coffee table. 

She had just opened the one with Steve’s baby photos when he returned with two mugs of tea. 

“Here you go.” 

“Thank you.” 

You expected him to retrieve his own mug and come join you, but instead he stood rocking back on his heels for a moment before speaking. 

“I’m pretty wired. I think I had too much sugar. I’m going to go for a walk.” 

Sarah regarded him closely but much to your surprise didn’t question him or attempt to make him stay. 

“Of course. Just make sure to bundle up. It’s supposed to start snowing.” 

“Will do. I’ll be back in a little while,” he promised, smile a little more genuine this time. 

He kissed you on the cheek before leaving, but you still had a pit in your stomach. 

“Should I be worried?” you asked once you heard the door shut. 

“Oh no, sweetheart. Steve does this sometimes when he’s upset. It helps him clear his head. He’ll be back in a little while.” 

“Did I do something to upset him?” 

“No. No, I expect he doesn’t want to look at old photos. It’s still hard for him.” 

“Of course.” 

You were distracted as you looked at the first few pages of the albums, not even really seeing the photos in front of you. You felt terrible for missing it. And being so excited about something that upset him. Of course it would be hard for him to look back at pictures before his dad passed away. 

“Sweetheart, you did nothing wrong,” Sarah assured you. 

“Am I that transparent?” You sighed. 

“Please never play poker.” 

You chuckled at her attempt at a joke, and when she pushed the album towards you, you took it, reverently flipping the pages paying attention this time. 

You giggled delightedly when you came across a Halloween photo of Steve and Bucky from when they were six dressed as Superman and Batman respectively. 

“Am I missing something?” Sarah asked. 

Sure the photos were cute, but she hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from you. 

“I have to show you something.” 

You quickly scrolled through the gallery on your phone and pulled up a picture of the three of you from Thor’s party. 

“Oh my goodness.” 

“I can’t believe they didn’t tell me they had already dressed up like them.” 

“They probably knew you’d get the photo from us. I think Rebecca scanned it for blackmail a few years ago. Oh, you three are so cute.” She hesitated for a moment before leaning in, continuing in a shy tone. “Do you have more pictures I can see?” 

“Of course.” You slid closer on the couch so you could more easily show her your phone. 

“Steve tells me everything, but I so rarely get to see pictures. It’s nice to see him normal and having fun after he struggled so much in high school.”

You nodded your understanding and began right from the beginning of your relationship with Steve. You’d never been so glad you curated your phone gallery. 

By the time you ran out of pictures on your phone, Sarah was fighting to stay awake. 

“I think I’m going to have to call it a night, sweetheart. I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize. Thank you for sharing these with me,” you gestured to the albums. 

“Thank you.” 

“Do you mind if I keep looking through these?” You were certain you wouldn’t be able to sleep until Steve came home. 

“Of course. Good night, sweetheart.” 

“Good night, Sarah.” 

She kissed you on the forehead before going upstairs. 

Steve still hadn’t come back by the time you’d looked through all of the photos through high school graduation. If you didn’t know it was Steve, at first glance, you might not have made the connection. But the longer you looked the more you could pick out the stubborn set of his jaw and the determined look in his eyes. Even at his sickest, a third of the size he was now, he radiated strength. It made you fall in love with him even more. 

Eventually you decided to get changed into your pajamas to wait for Steve. You were just coming back downstairs when Steve walked in the front door, brushing snow off his shoulders. 

You didn’t think before you were throwing yourself into his arms, squealing at the cold.

“Well, hello there. I could get used to that kind of welcome,” he grinned down at you, giving you a quick peck. You were happy to see that the looked much lighter. 

You hugged him as tightly as possible. 

“Sweetness, what’s the matter?” 

“I’m just glad you’re home now,” you admitted, burying your face in his neck. “I’m sorry.” 

“Sorry for what?” He asked shrugging out of his coat, hanging it on the hook by the door and locking the deadbolt. 

“I should have realized that looking at pictures would be hard,” you mumbled. 

“Sweetness, no. You couldn’t have known. And honestly I didn’t expect to react the way I did. It caught me off guard which is why I took a walk.” 

“For three hours,” you muttered. 

He chuckled quietly at your irritation, guiding you over to the couch to sit. 

“I’m sorry I worried you.” 

“I wasn’t worried. Well maybe a little. I was more concerned that I upset you.” 

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I promise. Did you look at all of the old pictures?” he asked as he slung an arm around your shoulder. You heard the trepidation in his tone. 

“Mostly, I think. You were adorable back then.” 

“Still am,” he scoffed, making you roll your eyes as you cuddled closer to his side. 

“Sometimes.” 

“I’m sorry you had to see pictures of me when I was sick.” 

That caught you by surprise. 

“Why are you apologizing for that?” 

He shrugged. 

“That’s not an answer.” 

When he huffed in response, you pulled away so you could look him in the eye. Even going so far as the grab his chin and turn him towards you, but still his gaze was fixed on anything else. 

“Steve, look at me,” you coaxed softly, swinging your leg over to straddle him and moving your hands to his cheeks. “Talk to me please.” 

Finally he met you eye to eye. 

“Do you know I still carry my inhaler around with me?” he asked. “I haven’t had to use it since I was fifteen. But I still always have it on me.” 

“I know,” you admitted. “I’ve found it in your hoodie before.” 

“I don’t think I will ever not worry about my health. Even now when I can run a mile. Hell ten miles. I will always think about it. I hate looking at that kid. I hate seeing how weak I was. And I hate that you had to see them too.” 

“I loved seeing those pictures,” you assured him. 

“Yeah right.” 

“I did,” you challenged. “And do you know why?” 

Steve bit back a retort he knew would hurt both of you.

“Because now I know for sure that every single thing about you that made me fall in love with you, has been there since the beginning. Your determination. Your strength. Your goodness. I can see it all. In every photo. Especially in the ones where you aren’t as healthy. And if god forbid down the road you were ever in that state again… Steve, I would still love you. Every part of you.” 

“But would you love me the same?” 

He couldn’t help himself as the question slipped out. You shook your head softly and your heart broke at his crestfallen expression so you surged onward. 

“I would love you more. Because I will love you more tomorrow than I do today. And even more the day after that,” you reminded him. 

You kissed his forehead before sitting back on your haunches. As his head lay on the back of the couch you reached out to stroke his hair, hoping to gauge his reactions. 

Steve looked up at you in a kind of awe, and you were certain he believed you. 

“I never thought that I would find someone who loves me the way you do. What did I do to deserve you?” 

He reached out to cradle your cheek. 

“You didn’t have to do anything. Everyone deserves to feel love.” 

“Do you know how much I love you?” he whispered. 

“I do. Almost as much as I love you.” 

He carefully lifted your hands and kissed your knuckles before tugging you so you fell against his chest in a tight hug. 


	20. Chapter 19

You woke slowly, no alarms, no annoyed roommate, just steady breathing and a muted scuffing that you couldn’t place, coming from beside you. 

“Good morning, sweetness.” 

“Good morning. Umm, how did we get up here?” 

The last thing you remembered was being curled up in Steve’s lap, stroking his hair and pressing the occasional kiss to whichever part of his face you were closest to. 

“You walked. I did wonder if you were actually awake. Guess I got my answer,” he chuckled, continuing to sketch. 

You propped your head in your hand so you could study him. 

“You’re so beautiful,” you sighed, as you mentally traced his features. You couldn’t help but smile when his cheeks turned pink. Placing his sketchpad and pencil on the bedside table, he scooted down in the bed so he was mimicking your position. 

“You are the most beautiful person I have ever met. Inside and out.” 

You ducked your head, flustered by his sincerity. Steve reached out to brush your hair out of your face, lingering on your cheek pulling your gaze to him.

“Thank you for last night,” Steve murmured. “I wasn’t expecting to react like that.” 

You pulled his hand away from your cheek so you could kiss his palm. 

“Thank you for being open with me. How are you feeling?” 

“Much better. It’s the first time I really talked about feeling that way. It helped a lot.” 

“You know you can talk to me about stuff like that any time.” 

“I don’t want to burden you,” he argued but you were already shaking your head. 

“It’s not a burden. Your problems are not a burden. _You_ are not a burden.” 

His eyes widened at your words, and you knew you’d hit the nail on the head. 

“Steve, listen to me. You are never a burden to me or to anyone else. Do you understand me?” 

He nodded, slowly, still mulling it over. 

“Yes. I’m not sure I believe you. But I’ll work on it.” 

You smiled at his honesty. “That’s all I ask.” 

“I love you,” he whispered, kissing your forehead. 

“I love you too. I was right by the way,” you added with a satisfied smile. 

“About what?” 

“I do love you more today than yesterday.” 

His answering smile was radiant. When he kissed you it was slow and deliberate and he poured every ounce of emotion into it. 

“As do I,” he whispered when he pulled away. “As do I.” 

You spent a little longer kissing and processing the night before. When you finally got yourselves ready for the day you found the downstairs was halfway to being a winter wonderland. 

“Good morning, kids,” Sarah greeted from behind a box of Santas. 

“Good morning. You’ve been busy.” 

“I can never wait to put up the Christmas decorations,” she admitted, panting out a laugh as she tried to juggle a box and the lights. 

“I’ll get it, Ma.” 

Steve rushed to her side to help with the box, and that was how most of the day went. When it was time to call it quits before the ballet the place was completely decked out. 

After a quick shower, you retreated into Sarah’s room to get ready together.

“You looked so beautiful on your wedding day,” you gushed when you noticed the wedding photos on her vanity as she carefully arranged your hair into an elegant twist. “I love your gown. It’s so classic.” 

“Thank you. I still love that dress. I think if I were to get married again, I’d still pick it.” 

“I hope I feel that way about my dress someday.”

“I’m sure you will.” 

“Steve looks so much like his dad.” 

“Yes, he does,” she sighed as she looked at the picture. “Sometimes when I come home and see Steve reading in this chair, I think it’s Joe for a just a minute.” 

She sniffed as she pinned fabric flowers into your hair, just below your right ear. 

“You look so beautiful, sweetheart,” she complimented, looking over your shoulder into the mirror as she tucked the tag into the back of your dress and smoothed the flutter sleeves. 

You covered her hand with your own, squeezing. 

“Thank you. And thank you again for this. It’s so amazing. I always dreamed of seeing the Nutcracker done professionally.” 

“It’s my pleasure.” She leaned on the end of the bed to slip her shoes on. “I’m excited to share it with someone who loves it as much as I do. Joe and Steve have never quite shared my love of the ballet, but they always went along with me.” 

She sat next to you on the vanity bench to put on her jewelry. 

“Did you go often?” 

“Usually just the Nutcracker. But Joe always made it special. He made sure that Steve and he were dressed in the best clothes. And he’d bring me a bouquet. Red roses and pink tulips. And we always took our holiday photo that night.” 

“That so sweet.” 

“This is the first year we’re going since Joe passed,” Sarah admitted quietly. 

“Really?” you asked, choked up. 

“Yes. Steve had been getting sicker. And by the time Dr. Erksine came along, it felt too hard to go back. So we just let the years pass.” 

You tried to find the words to comfort her, but none came so you held her hand instead. She squeezed tightly, a silent thank you as she sniffed back a few tears. 

“It was high time to bring the tradition back. And what better reason than to share it with someone so special to Steve.” 

“I’m…” Flattered? Honored? You couldn’t find the right words. 

“You don’t have to say anything. I think we understand each other very well.” 

You stayed quiet together for a few more moments before she shook her head and stand up. 

“Are you ready, sweetheart?” 

“Absolutely.” 

Steve was dressed in a gray suit and sitting in the armchair in the living room scrolling through his phone when you and Sarah came down, but he immediately hopped to his feet when he heard you on the stairs. 

“You both look beautiful.” 

“Thank you, son.” 

“Ma, I have something for you.” 

“What is it?” 

He reached behind the armchair and retrieved a bouquet of tulips and roses. You had to bite back your aww and you could see Sarah fighting tears. 

“I know that things are different now with dad being gone, but I thought since we were bringing back this tradition, I could carry on this part too. I want to make things special for you again.” 

She reached out to cup his cheek and you had to look away to give them privacy. 

“Oh, Steve.” 

She hugged him, bringing his head down to her shoulder as she cradled the back of his head. 

“You are a good man. Your dad would be so proud.” 

The ride to the Metropolitan Opera House was quiet. A lot of emotions had been stirred up so far that evening, but when you finally arrived, the overwhelming one was excitement. You couldn’t take in the details around you quickly enough. You were certain you were missing amazing things. You felt Steve’s amused gaze as he led you by the hand, allowing you to devour the new environment. 

Once you were seated, you continued your attempt to commit the architecture to memory – memories you knew would never do it justice. 

When the lights dimmed, your breath caught in anticipation. Steve’s fingers found yours, grounding you, even as you were threatened to be carried away by the music. You were one of the first on your feet during the curtain call, clapping until your hands stung and your arms were sore. 

“What did you think?” Sarah asked as you slowly filed out of the theater. 

“It was breathtaking. Did you enjoy it?” 

“Very much so. And what about you, Steven? Did you enjoy the evening?” Sarah asked, a teasing tone in her voice you didn’t quite understand. 

“I did,” he assured her. “I believe I saw something truly beautiful tonight.” 

“I’m sure you did.” 

You watched the back and forth curiously, before Sarah turned her attention back to you, clearly changing the subject. 

“Y/n, sweetheart, would you mind taking our picture?” 

“Of course.” 

You took her phone from her and lined up a shot of the two of them below the marquee and then several close ups. 

“There you go. Let me know if you like them,” you told her, handing back the phone. 

“Oh they’re perfect. Okay, now let’s get you two together. Come on. Get close.” 

Steve’s ears turned pink with his mother’s fussing, but tugged you into his side nonetheless. You felt awkward in the first few, but when you looked up to see Steve’s warm gaze you couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face.

“There you go! More like that. Act like you like each other.” 

That made you laugh. 

She took a few more pictures before asking a passerby to take one of the three of you and finally hailing a cab back home. She kissed both you and Steve good night. 

As you lay, curled up in his bed, you asked the question that you’d been wondering since witnessing Steve and Sarah’s exchange. 

“Steve,” you whispered. 

“Yeah, sweetness.” 

“Did you not like the ballet?” 

He chuckled; he knew where you were going with this. 

“To be honest, I didn’t watch most of it.” 

“What were-“

“I was too busy watching you,” he explained. “That’s what Ma was teasing me for.” 

“Why were you watching me?” You asked, just barely able to make out his features in the darkness.

“Because you are so beautiful when you’re happy. You light up so brightly. How could you expect me to watch anything else?” 

You wanted to scoff. Or laugh it off. But you knew he was utterly serious. 

“I could watch you be happy forever, sweetness.” 

“Nothing would make me happier than forever with you,” you whispered. 

“Win/win then,” he chuckled, pulling you close and kissing your temple. 


	21. Chapter 20

“You know, I don’t have to go meet up with the Howlies,” Steve announced as he dawdled by the front door on Saturday afternoon. 

“Yes, you do. Bucky is going to be here in two minutes to drag your butt out of here if you don’t go.” 

‘But-“ 

“No buts,” you interrupted. “Steven, you don’t need to keep me company the whole weekend.” 

His hands landed on your hips as you played with the lapels of his leather jacket. 

“Maybe I want to,” he grinned down at you, tugging you closer to lean his forehead against yours. 

“We have all the time in the world. You won’t get to see your friends again until Christmas. You have made this whole trip so special for me. And I know how much you miss the Howlies. Go have fun with them. I will see you tonight.” 

He sighed, taking in your words and weighing his own desires. 

“You’re right. As usual,” he added before you could gloat. “I’ll see you tonight.” 

“Have fun.” 

He kissed you twice before heading out the front door, greeting Bucky who was just about ring the doorbell. You waved at Bucky and shut the door behind them, joining Sarah in the kitchen as she was preparing dinner. 

“Did you finally convince him to go?” 

“Yes. Though I wasn’t too worried. Bucky was on his way to get him anyway. What can I do to help?” 

“Why don’t you start washing the vegetables for the salad?” 

“I’m on it.” 

Spending time with Sarah was comfortable. You talked about classes and her job. She asked you more about your career aspirations. And she told you about Joseph and Steve when he was younger. 

When dinner was done, you whipped up a batch of brownies as a special treat and the two of you retired to the living room, deciding to work on a puzzle. It was a little after seven when Sarah’s phone rang, just as you were completing the outer edge.

“Sarah Rogers,” she answered in a business tone, before covering the speaker and turning to you. “Excuse me one second.” 

“Of course.” 

You studied the box trying to sort out the pieces by color. You had added about seven pieces to the puzzle when Sarah came back in. 

“I’m so sorry, my dear. One of the other nurses called out and they need me to cover. I hate to leave you alone.” 

“I’ll be perfectly fine. Trust me. I’m not great at puzzles, I’ll probably still be doing this when you get back tomorrow.” 

“Are you sure you’ll be alright by yourself?” she fretted. 

“I will be absolutely fine,” you assured her. 

“Alright. I need to go get ready then.”

Despite your claims of not being good at puzzles you were proud to show off the small corner you’d completed when Sarah returned in her scrubs. 

“Alright, sweetie. I texted Steve to let him know that I’m going to work. He should be heading home soon.”

“Alright. Is there anything you need me to do?” 

“Nothing at all. Just relax and enjoy your night. I’ll be back in the early afternoon to see you both before you head back to Boston.” 

“Okay!” 

She wished you a good night and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead before pulling on her coat and locking the door behind her. 

Once you had completed about a third of the puzzle you decided to take a break to tidy up - wrapping up the brownies and finishing the dishes, humming along to the record Sarah had put on. 

You were so preoccupied that you didn’t realize Steve had come in until he wrapped his arms around your waist and kissed your temple. 

“Hi honey, I’m home,” he murmured in your ear. 

“Welcome back,” you giggled. 

“Sorry I’m so late. I didn’t see Ma’s text until a little while ago.” 

“You didn’t have to cut your evening short because of me.” You pouted at the thought as you turned in his arms resting your hands on his chest. 

“I didn’t. It was getting to be that time anyways.” 

“Promise?” 

“Promise. Now how about a proper hello kiss?” 

He ducked down to capture your lips. Your arms slid around his neck, clutching yourself closer. 

When he finally let you breathe, Steve kept you close, swaying to the music that filtered in from the living room. 

“You know, on date nights, my parents used to put on this record and they’d slow dance in the living room or the kitchen. Wherever, really. I always knew that I wanted a love like that,” he admitted before looking down at you. “Like this,” he corrected. 

You couldn’t help the tears that welled in your eyes, but Steve was quick to brush them off and kiss away the tracks they left on your cheek. 

You rocked back and forth in the dimly lit kitchen, committing each moment to memory. The deep rumble of Steve humming along to the songs vibrated through you. When Dream a Little Dream of Me came on, you started to croon softly. 

“I love when you sing for me,” he whispered when the song was over. 

“I love being with you like this. I don’t want to stop.” 

“We don’t have to.” 

“The record’s over,” you pointed out. 

“Then we’ll make our own music.” 

Your whispers mingled in the quiet kitchen as Steve held you tight and swayed, humming some tune only he knew. But with your ear against chest, his steady heartbeat was all the music you needed. 


	22. Chapter 21

You really did wish that you could have stayed in that moment with Steve forever. Especially when you were catapulted right back into the final push for the semester as soon as you got back on campus. 

On the plus side, Steve had toured Professor Erskine’s lab and fallen in love. He’d asked to start volunteering before they finished the visit and Erskine was thrilled to have him. Steve didn’t stop beaming for days. Although he wouldn’t officially start until next semester, he went in twice a week until classes ended for some trainings, which further limited your time together. 

You were both so burnt out after classes ended, that the first day of the study period you binge watched the entirety of the Witcher without moving, only taking bathroom breaks. 

On the second day of the study period, hour thirteen of studying you got asked a question that stopped you in your tracks. 

“Will you go on a date with me?”

You looked up from your biology textbook in open confusion. “I’m sorry. What?” 

“Will you go on a date with me?” the blonde asked with a grin. 

You rolled your eyes and went back to your notes. “I think you’ve been studying too long.” 

“Come on,” he pouted. “I’m serious.” 

You put your highlighter down and stared at him. 

“Steve. We’ve been dating for like two months.” 

“I know.” He grinned. “But in all that time, I haven’t taken you on a proper date.”

“Huh,” you hummed as you thought about it. “I guess you’re right.” 

“It’s a travesty really. So what do you say? Can I take you on a proper date?” 

You cocked your head as you considered it. 

“Hmm. I don’t know.” 

“Please, sweetness.” 

“I’d love to,” you finally agreed. 

“Yes!” 

You held up a finger to halt his celebrations. 

“But not until after finals.” 

His smile didn’t dim in the least. 

“Deal.” 

Over the course of the week, Steve would mention the upcoming date whenever he needed a study break, but refused to give any details. 

“So what should I wear for our first date? Since you won’t tell me where we’re going,” you pouted at him two days before it would take place. 

“Something nice.” 

“Nice like I wore to the ballet or nice like I wore to meet your mom?” 

“Hmm. Like what you wore to the ballet.” 

“Ooh, so you are taking me someplace fancy.”

“Maybe. Or maybe I just like seeing you all dolled up.” 

“If you take me to the dining hall while I’m in my favorite dress, I am going to be so mad at you.”

He laughed long and loud, but shook his head. 

“I promise it’s not the dining hall.” 

“No other hint though? Please?” You batted your eyelashes at him, but to no avail. 

“Not even a little one.” 

“Fine,” you huffed, leaning back in your seat. 

“I promise it will be worth your while.” 

“Spending time with you always is.” 

After turning in your final writing portfolio, you were finally able to focus all of your attention on the Chemistry final. A group of eight of you met up in the library the day before the exam to review. As the day turned to night they packed it in one by one, until it was just you and Steve. It was well after three when the two of you finally called it quits. 

“That is all of the information my brain can take in,” you groaned as you shut your binder. 

“Same here,” Steve yawned, rubbing at his eyes. “We should try and get some sleep.” 

“Probably a good idea.” You agreed nodding off in between words. 

“Uh uh. Not here, sweetness,” he nudged you to your feet. “Come on. Pack up your stuff let’s get back to the dorm.” 

Forgoing your usual organization, you shoved all of your study materials haphazardly into your backpack and slung it over your shoulder, blinking rapidly as you stood. 

You were glad for the cold when you stepped outside of the library. It woke you up enough that you weren’t stumbling over your feet. Nevertheless, Steve took your hand, making sure to keep you on the inside of the sidewalk as you made the fifteen minute walk back to your dorm.

Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of people still awake as you made your way to the elevators. Some were cramming for exams while others were celebrating being done. You rolled your eyes at a group of particularly rambunctious fraternity pledges. 

“So your room then?” he chuckled when you automatically pressed the button for your floor. 

“Oh sorry. Did you want to go to yours?” you mumbled. 

“No, it’s fine.”

“I just know Nat’s done with finals so she won’t be studying. She has an early-ish flight so she should be sleeping. But even if she’s still packing I’m tired enough to pass out with a strobe light,” you rambled. 

Steve simply nodded. 

You had just reached your door and were about to slot your key in when you heard a low grunt followed by a moan. 

“Damn it,” you groaned. 

“My room it is then.”

“Let’s go.” 

You shuffled past the crowded common room back towards the stairs. 

“Please tell I’m seeing things,” you almost cried. 

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” he growled when he sported the sock on the door. 

“Our friends suck.” 

“Alright, come on. Let’s go to our spot at least then we’ll be close to the exam room.” 

“Fine. Stupid horny roommates,” you grumbled under your breath. 

You were relieved to find your usual study spot empty. Quickly shedding your hat, gloves, and parka, you flopped onto the sofa and pulled out your phone to set approximately thirty alarms for a mere three hours later. 

Steve followed suit, settling for three alarms before slinging his arm around your shoulder and pulling his coat over the both of you. 

“Good night, sweetness.” 

You were already asleep. 

“Come on, sweetness. Time to get up. The exam starts in an hour,” Steve murmured shaking you shoulder gently. 

“Go away,” you groaned. 

“No can do. But I have coffee to make you feel better.” 

The smell of coffee started to penetrate your brain. 

“Gimme,” you mumbled blindly reaching for the cup. 

When you didn’t feel it in your hand and heard a low chuckle, you opened your eyes to glare at him. 

“Gotta sit up for me.” 

“You know you were a lot less annoying the last time I was sexiled.” 

“And you were a lot nicer then. You called me cute. Maybe you were right about un-caffeinated y/n.” 

You pulled yourself up into a sitting position as requested and Steve handed you the coffee. After two long pulls, you started to rejoin the land of the living. 

“Thank you, handsome.” 

“So I’ve been upgraded from cute to handsome. I’ll take it.” 

You swatted at him weakly. “Can we take a nap after all this?” 

“Absolutely.”

A few more sips and you were mostly awake, and you finally noticed the logo on the coffee cup. “Did you walk all the way back to the tower for this?” 

“Nah, I guilted Bucky into bringing it since he sexiled us.” 

“Ooh good call,” you commended. 

“He apologizes by the way. Since we said we were going to sleep early, he assumed we were in your room.”

You hummed your acknowledgment, too tired to really care. 

The two of you enjoyed a few quiet moments as you drank your coffee and the floors below started to fill up. 

“We have less than three hours until we finish our first semester of college,” you remarked. 

“That’s crazy. It’s been a hell of a semester.“ 

You patted Steve’s thigh absently. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Steve asked as he covered your hand with his. 

“I’m just so glad Nat sexiled me that night.” 

Steve’s smile was soft, almost lazy as he responded. “I am too.” 

“I’m less glad she sexiled me last night. This couch killed my back.” 

Steve chuckled low in your ear. 

“I’ll fix it for you later.” 

“My hero.” 

You planted a quick peck on his lips before pushing yourself to your feet. 

“Come on. I want to get my spot.” 

“Yes ma’am.” 


	23. Chapter 22

You were exhausted after you finished the grueling chem final. Steve tried to drag you to the dining hall for food, but you refused. So you compromised by buying a bunch of junk food on your way back so he could eat while you napped. 

Natasha was sitting cross-legged on her bed, suitcase and coat ready to go as she scrolled through her phone when you trudged into the room. 

“You’re back. Thank goodness. I thought I was going to miss you. You both look like crap.” 

“Well the couch in the science building isn’t the most comfortable,” Steve grumbled. 

“Why did you sleep in the science building? You promised you wouldn’t over study and you would sleep in a real bed before your exam.” 

“Well we tried but other people were intent on sexiling us,” you huffed, annoyed by her censuring tone. 

Natasha’s eyes went wide. “What time did you come back from studying?” 

“A little after three.” 

“Oh my god, y/n. I’m so sorry. I assumed if you were coming back here to sleep you’d be back by two. I figured you’d just gone to Steve’s. Clint didn’t come over until three.” 

“Bucky thought the same thing,” Steve admitted around a mouthful of chips. 

You felt your annoyance fade away. You had spent a week saying you were determined to get a full night’s sleep, so you could understand why they’d assume you and Steve would already have hunkered down. 

“I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t screw you up.” 

“It all worked out,” you assured her. “And it’s done.” 

“Still. I promise next semester I’m going to make sure that you are in a bed before I have Clint over the night before an exam.” 

“Fair deal,” you laughed. 

“Although to be fair you should really thank me because the first time I sexiled you. I also got you Steve.” 

You both glanced at Steve who was currently plowing through a pack of E.L. Fudge. 

“You say that like it’s a good thing,” you stage whispered, making you and Natasha giggle. 

“I heard that.” 

“You were supposed to,” you told him with a wink. 

Natahsa’s phone vibrated in her hand and she was quick to silence the alarm. 

“I’ve got to go or I’ll miss my plane.” 

“I’ll walk down with you.” you told her and she nodded. 

“Well, Rogers.” 

Steve was already on his feet and hugging Natasha. 

“Have a great break, Romanoff.” 

“You too.” Natasha whispered something else that made Steve chuckle fondly and he ruffled her hair. 

“I know.” 

“Do not eat all of my cookies,” you warned him as Natasha slipped on her coat and you took her carryon for her.

“No promises.” 

“I’m really glad that we got roomed together,” Natasha told you as you got to the lobby. 

“I am too. I was really scared about having a roommate.” 

“Same,” she admitted, blushing lightly. “But, I’m really looking forward to next semester.” 

“Yes, and we are definitely going to do more girls nights.” 

“Absolutely.” 

“I just have to say one more thing. I know that we’ve all kind of gotten on you and Steve’s cases about dating. But you really are so good together and everyone can see how much you love each other. We really are all rooting for you guys. What you have is special and we don’t want you to miss it.” 

“Thank you, Natasha. I –“ 

You were about to tell her when her phone started ringing. 

“Hello? Yes, I’ll be right out.” 

She shoved her phone in her pocket and pulled you in for a tight hug. 

“I’ll see you in a month.” 

“Have a great break!” 

You trudge up to your room, surprised when you opened the door and realized Steve had not only cooked you bagel bites hut he’d arranged them on a plate in a smiley face and had changed your sheets. 

“You are the best,” you cooed as you kissed him. 

“I know.” 

You swatted at him as he nudged you towards your desk. 

“Just eat. I know you must be starving.” 

You hadn’t been before you got back, but now that you had enough of a second wind you could eat everything in sight. 

After you were full, you both showered and changed into your pajamas and crawled into bed. At 11:30 AM. 

When you woke several hours later you felt human again for the first time in weeks, but you had no idea what time it was. The sun was low in the sky but that didn’t mean much in New England in December. A peek at your clock revealed it was just after three. Steve was warm and solid beside you and you curled closer, grateful for the peaceful moment. 

“Hi, gorgeous,” he rumbled. 

“Hey, yourself.” 

Yawning, he looked around. “What time is it?” 

“A little after three.” 

He smiled and tugged you closer, nuzzling into your neck. Your fingers found their way into Steve’s hair. 

“Perfect, plenty of time for cuddles before our date.” 

You hummed, preoccupied, thinking about Nat’s parting words. 

“I can hear you thinking,” he mumbled against your collarbone. “What’s on your mind, sweetness?” 

He pulled back, leaning on his elbow so he could look at you. 

“Just thinking about something Natasha said. What did she whisper to you?” 

“That we both deserved to be happy, so I should get off my butt and ask you out. Why? What did she say to you?” 

“That what we have is special. And she didn’t want me to miss out on it.”

“They really do care,” Steve observed quietly. 

“Yes, and I know that we’ve been together and we aren’t missing out on anything. But I also know that you are the best thing in my life and I want to share that with everyone. Are you okay with the telling everyone?” 

“Absolutely. Watching our friends get more and more annoyed was funny… for a while. But I’d rather get to share the reality of our relationship with the world. Because you mean everything to me.”

“I love you.” 

“I love you too.” He scooched forward to kiss you, short and sweet. “So, how do you want to tell them? Group text?” 

You hummed as you thought about it. 

“I still want it to be special. Because you’re special to me. Also because they were still a bit annoying the last two months.” 

Steve’s laugh was a low rumble. 

“Maybe an Instagram post then?” he suggested. 

“Mmm, that could work. But which pictures to post.” 

You rolled over onto your stomach grabbed your phone to start looking for the best pictures of you and Steve. You had a whole cache of super couple-y photos that you’d never posted. Steve decided to busy himself by tracing patterns across your back. 

“You know it’s very hard to focus when you do that.” 

“Is it?” he asked with a cheeky smile. “I can stop.” 

His flattened his palm on your lower back. 

“You don’t have to. I’m just saying.” 

“Well maybe this will help.” 

He pressed a barely there kiss to your shoulder before inching his way up to your neck, nipping gently at your pulse point. 

“This is supposed to help me focus?” you giggled breathlessly, eyeing him over your shoulder. 

“Yeah,” he grinned, “On me.” 


	24. Chapter 24

After keeping you thoroughly focused on him and making up for the lack of quality time over the past few weeks, Steve finally dragged himself out of your bed around six, which left you with just an hour to get ready for your date. 

Relief over being done with the semester and the excitement of going public with Steve had you giddy. You turned on your favorite feel good playlist and danced around as you got dressed and did your hair and makeup. 

You grinned at your reflection as you made sure your lipstick was perfect. Doing a quick turn in the long mirror, you adjusted the bright blue lace sleeves of your dress so they were even just below your elbows. And you made sure that your skirt was fluffed properly, falling just above your knees. You’d even opted for your favorite black heeled booties that had bows on the back. While they weren’t your trusty converse, they were the most comfortable fancy shoes you owned, and you were more than willing to put up with any minor discomfort to complete the look. 

At seven o’clock on the dot, Steve knocked on your door, and you raced to open it. 

Steve’s eyes went wide as he took you in. 

“Wow,” he breathed. “You are stunning, sweetness.” 

“Not so bad yourself.” 

In truth Steve looked amazing. Black suit and a dark blue button up. He’d forgone a tie and you momentarily lamented the fact you couldn’t yank him down by it, but his lapels would have to do. 

“Whatcha hiding there?” you asked peering around him when you noticed that he had his hands behind his back. 

“Oh,” he produced a bouquet of red roses from behind his back. “These are for you.” 

“They’re beautiful. Thank you,” you pecked him on the cheek 

He went to kiss you properly, but you’d already ducked out of his arms to find something to put the flowers in.

“Tall and narrow,” you muttered to yourself, eyeing the container you kept your sharpies in. 

“What? No kiss?” he pouted.

“Steven Grant Rogers, expecting a kiss before you even take me out to dinner. I am appalled. What would your mother say? 

You dumped out the markers and filled it halfway from your water bottle and dropped the flowers in before turning to him with a faux shocked look. 

Steve quirked an eyebrow, but you held his challenge. You were about to give up the game when he spoke. 

“You’re right, sweetness. Ma would kill me. It’s probably for the best anyway. Wouldn’t want to mess up that pretty lipstick _before_ we get to dinner.” 

You shivered slightly at the implication, making him smirk and you couldn’t hold his gaze. 

The charged moment quickly passed, and he cupped your chin to lift it. You saw that his smirk softened into a genuine smile.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered brushing his fingers along your cheek.

““You’re not so bad yourself, handsome.” 

“Are you ready to go? I haven’t stopped thinking about this since you said yes.” 

“Me neither. I’ve been looking forward to it all week.” 

Steve helped you on with your coat, and once you had double checked your purse, offered you his arm. If you hadn’t been wearing heels you probably would have skipped along next to him. 

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” 

You both froze when Tony’s voice drifted lazily out of the common room. 

“Should we make a run for it?” Steve whispered. 

You glanced down at your heels in answer. 

“I’ll carry you,” he laughed. 

“You know we can hear you right?” 

Tony and Bucky were now grinning at you from the doorway and you decided it was best to humor him. You reluctantly backtracked a few steps. Bucky opened his arms for a hug, which you happily gave him. 

“Hey, doll. Sorry about sexiling ya last night.” 

“It’s okay, Buck. I’ll just bill you for the chiropractor.” 

He rolled his eyes and went to ruffle your hair but your glare warned him off.

Wanda snickered before cooing at you from her seat on Sam’s lap. 

“Aww you both look nice.” 

“Thanks, Wan.” 

“Where are you two off to?” Sam asked as Bucky plopped down on one of the chairs, swinging his legs over the side. 

“Just going out to celebrate the end of the semester,” Steve shrugged. 

“And you didn’t invite us,” Tony shook his head. 

“Well, we’d love to stay and chat…” 

“But we’ve got a reservation. So we’ll see you later,” You finished for Steve.

“Wait are you coming to brunch tomorrow?” Sam yelled. 

“Yes!” you agreed poking your head back in the room. 

Steve led you towards the elevator laughing silently at the not quiet comments your friends were making. 

“Is it just me or did they actually get their heads out of their asses?” Sam asked. 

“Nah, Nat said they’re still being dumb,” Tony argued. 

“Tonight sounds pretty romantic,” Wanda countered. 

“It does,” Bucky agreed. 

“Are you two still standing by your bets? There’s still time to change them,” Tony comment. 

“Absolutely,” Wanda said with confidence. 

“I’m good as I am,” Bucky announced. 

“It’s your cash.” 

“We get a cut when Bucky wins right?” you giggled as the elevator shut. 

“Oh definitely,” Steve nodded. 

The T was crowded with everyone out celebrating the holidays, so Steve held onto the pole while you held onto him. He would kiss you on the forehead randomly and you’d kiss him on the cheek. And he held you tighter when you wobbled in your heels. 

It was only a five minute walk from the T to the restaurant in the North End Steve had picked out, and you happily walked hand in hand, ignoring the cold. But you were early for your reservation and had to wait outside. Steve quickly pulled you close, letting you steal his body heat. 

“Sorry, sweetness.” 

“Don’t be. I really don’t mind snuggling with my boyfriend for warmth.”

He grinned down at you, somehow tugging you even closer. 

It was only a few minutes until the hostess called Steve’s name and led you to a table in the corner. You could feel the heat from the wood stove, and it helped take the chill off. 

“This place is so cute,” you gushed once the waitress had taken your drink orders. 

“I thought you’d like it.” 

“How’d you find it?” 

“Well I had made a list. But Bucky recommended this one when he found me staring at an excel sheet,” he admitted with a chuckle. 

“You made an excel sheet of restaurants in the North End?” 

Steve went pink to the tips of his ears. 

“Well… I technically made one for all of the restaurants in Boston that I thought you’d like.” 

“Was it color coded?” you grinned. 

He pointedly read his menu. 

“Oh my god it is, isn’t it?” 

“Yes,” he sighed, looking at you. “Among other organizational systems.” 

“If I wasn’t already in love with you, I would be now.” 

He chuckled and shook his head, but his smile was bright, blue eyes sparkling. 

“That’s because you’re a nerd.” 

“And proud of it,” you assured him, raising your nose into the air. “I have it on good authority that nerds are cool now.” 

“Well whoever told you that definitely has a crush on you.” 

You tilted your head curiously. 

“You think Tony has a crush on me?” 

This time Steve laughed outright. 

“You are ridiculous. And I love you.” 

“I love you too.” You squeezed his hand, holding on to it as you perused the menu. “I do hope you kept the excel though. It’ll make picking date night spots for the next three years a lot easier.”

“Three years,” he repeated softly, goofy grin crossing his face. 

“For starters,” you added. 

His grin only got wider. 

Dinner was delicious - filled with stolen bites and giggles. After a quick stop into Mike’s Pastry to get treats for brunch the next morning, you walked to Faneuil Hall arm threaded through Steve’s and your hand resting on his bicep. You popped into a few stores, finishing up some Christmas shopping. 

“So are you still full from dinner or are you ready for something sweet?” Steve asked as you were leaving the candle store. 

“I’m always ready for something sweet. What did you have in mind?” 

“Ghirardelli is open. We could get some hot chocolate before we keep walking around?” 

“Perfect.” 

Warm from the hot chocolate, Steve led you towards the far end of the marketplace, checking his watch. 

“Are we heading home now?” You couldn’t hide your disappointment. 

“Not yet. Come on let’s sit for a few minutes.” 

You eyed the cold wood warily, but Steve sat on the bench, patting his leg for you to sit in his lap. 

“Are you ready?” he whispered once you were settled. 

“For what?” 

He tilted his head towards the rest of the marketplace. 

“Watch.” 

Moments later the lights that lined the tress began flashing in time with the music now playing over the speakers. You watched in wonder at the beautiful display, Steve’s arms wrapped around your waist. It was magical. 

“Tonight was perfect,” you murmured as you walked back to your room. 

“I’m glad, sweetness.” 

Steve stopped you outside your door. You tilted your head, confused. 

When he kissed you on the cheek, whispering, “I had a really good time tonight. I hope we can do it again soon.” You realized what he was getting at, and stifled a laugh.

“Me too. In fact, I don’t know that I’m ready for the night to end,” you flirted. “Why don’t you come in for a little while?” 

“I don’t think it would be proper, Y/n. It’s only our first date.” 

You pouted and shrugged, “That’s too bad. Have a good night, Steve. Thanks for a great date.” 

You pecked him on the cheek before sauntering into your room, closing the door behind you. 

You giggled and waited ten seconds before opening the door to a grinning Steve who was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. 

“Date officially over?” 

“Oh yeah.” 

“Good. Get in here.” 

He crossed the little hallway with a step and half and you in his arms in an instant.

“That was fun,” he chuckled as he twirled you into the room, kicking the door shut. 

“Yes, it was.” You kissed him once. Twice. Three times, as you gazed up at him. “Thank you for making tonight so special.” 

“You’re welcome, sweetness. You deserve to feel special. I’m so glad we get to do these things now.”

“Me too. Speaking of which, I think it’s time for that post.” 

“Do you know which pictures you want to use?” 

“Mhmm,” you used his shoulder to balance as you slid off your heels, groaning in relief. 

You sat on the bed and after shrugging out of his suit jacket and rolling up his sleeves (which wasn’t distracting at all) Steve pulled your feet into his lap and started massaging while you made the post. 

First you added a selfie the two of you took that afternoon while you’d stuffed your faces. Frankly, you looked like gremlins in it but you loved it. The second photo was Steve kissing your temple as you smiled serenely in front of the Christmas tree. And the third was you and Steve kissing in Times Square, taken by Becca during Thanksgiving. 

You quickly added the caption. 

_Three versions of celebrations._

_1._ _The end of finals_

_2._ _Our First Date/2 Months (Yes both can be true)_

_3._ _1 month of dating (PC: @BeccaBarnes) (Did I mention I loved NYC?)_

_Which is your favorite? @SteveRogers Happy two months, handsome! I love you._

When you were happy with the pictures and the caption you showed it to Steve who grinned and kissed you. 

“Perfect.” 

You hit post and squeaked in excitement. “It’s done.” 

“How long do you think it will take for them to see it?” 

“Four minutes?” you guessed, though that was probably an overestimation.

“Probably. Well, I have something for you in the meantime.” 

You couldn’t help but perk up. 

“Really? I actually have something for you too.” 

You reached into your top desk drawer and produced the neatly wrapped package while Steve retrieved his jacket and pulled something out of the breast pocket. 

“Happy two months, sweetness.” 

“Happy two months, Steve. You go first,” you encouraged bouncing on your knees. 

Steve happily tore off the paper, before looking to you wide-eyed. You hoped that was a good sign. 

“This is too much. You shouldn’t have.” 

He ran his fingers over the gold lettering of his name embossed on the dark blue moleskin journal. 

“I wanted you to have something a little bit special, and I know you mostly have bigger sketchpads, so I thought it would be nice for you to have something to carry around.” 

“It’s perfect. And it’s a lot special. Thank you,” He kissed you tenderly. “Now open yours.” 

“Okay.” 

You carefully undid the paper and lifted the lid of the lavender box. Inside lay a silver ID bracelet that was engraved on both sides. 

“I love you,” you read aloud as you examined it before you turned it over. 

“More than yesterday and less than tomorrow,” Steve recited with you. 

You couldn’t hold back the tears. 

“Oh, Steve.” You shot forward, throwing your arms around him. “It’s so beautiful. And perfect.” 

“Just a little something for the days when I’m not beside you to remind you.” 

“I’m never going to take it off. I love you so much,” you sniffled. 

“I love you too, sweetness.” 

Leaning back on your heels, you held out the bracelet to him so he could clasp it. He pressed a kiss to your pulse point before began to trace his way up your arm. 

However, violent vibrations drew your attention from each other. 

“I think they saw the post,” he chuckled. 

“I think so. Should we face the music?” you asked as you retrieved your phone. 

He plucked the device out of your hand and silenced it. After doing the same with his own, he placed them both on the desk. 

“They can wait. I have much more important things to attend to.” 

Steve reached out to cradle your cheeks, keeping you still as he leaned up to kiss you. He hesitated for just a hair’s breadth away from your lips. For a moment you thought he was going to ask if he could kiss you, like he did that night in October. But before you could say anything his lips met yours, and you melted into the kiss. The wash of contentment that rushed over you was similar but somehow even deeper than the first kiss you’d shared. You were certain it was because you loved each other more than you did then. And the thought of how much love you would feel in your future kisses had you smiling against Steve’s lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end, my lovelies. I hope that you enjoyed reading this story. It was a ton of fun to write.


End file.
